I LI BRARY OF CONGRE SS, 
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! UNITED STATES OF AMEKICA.fl 



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SERMONS TO CHILDREN. 



V 6 



ip 



JOHN N. NORTON, 

RECTOR OP ASCENSION CHURCH, FRANKFORT, KT. J AUTHOR OF " LIVES OP 
BISHOPS," " ROCKFORD PARISH," ETC. 



'Feed my lambs.' 



MW/,^ 




E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY, 

BOSTON: 135 WASHINGTON STREET. 
NEW YORK : 762 BROADWAY. 



18& 



V 



. /Ye.. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by 

E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts 



RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE : 

STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY 

H. 0. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. 



To 
HIS EXCELLENCY 

JOHN W. STEVENSON, 

GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY, 

FOB FIVE AND TWENTY YEARS A DEVOTED AND SUCCESSFUL 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER, 

£Dfs ICttle Volume 

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 
BY HIS 

FRIEND AND PASTOR. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

I. Small and Great standing before God . . 7 

II. The World to be burned up ... 19 

III. God sending His Son to save the World . 29 

IV. Bringing Gifts to Jesus 39 

V. The Example of Washington .... 47 

VI. The Lessons of Winter 57 

VII. The Saviour's Self-denial 67 

VIII. The Saviour's Sufferings and Death . . 77 

IX. Our Lord's Resurrection 87 

X. The Saviour's Omniscience .... 99 

XI. Gentleness, a Fruit of God's Holy Spirit . 109 

XII. Heaven 119 



PREFACE. 



Instead of imitating the venders of sugar-coated 
fills, by calling his little book by a more appetizing 
title than it can properly claim, the writer has pre- 
ferred to send it forth in its true character as " Ser- 
mons to Children." 

Several years ago he began to deliver familiar dis- 
courses to the younger portion of his flock, setting 
apart the first Sunday night in each month for the 
purpose. The full evening service is always used, 
with simple chants, in which the children are taught 
to join. Learned theologians may laugh at the shal- 
lowness of these sermons, and the fastidious be 
shocked at the lack of good taste in them, but the 
author is content to know that a large church is 
crowded whenever the " Children's Sermons " are 
preached, and that young and old have derived profit 
from them. 

They are now written out, for the first time, at the 
. suggestion of friends, who believe that they may do 
good in a wider sphere. 
Easter Even, 1868. 



" Observe the skill with which the Saviour caught an illustration 
to interest the mind of the Samaritan woman. He took her water- 
pot for His text. When the fishermen drew in their wonderful 
wealth of fishes, He said to them they should become ' fishers of 
men.' When the multitudes followed Him for the sake of the 
loaves, He said to them He was the ' Bread of life.' The true way 
to teach is just this, — try to link what one does not know upon 
what he knows.*' 

" If you really desire to do good, you will find God will favor 
you in ingenuity. McCheyne, standing before a forge fire, said 
kindly to the workman — ' Who can dwell with everlasting burn- 
ings ? ' Payson, when his seat-mate in the coach expressed glad- 
ness that the journey was so near its end, put the inquiry, ' Are 
you prepared for the end of the long journey? ' " 

Dr. C. S. Robinson. 



" When he had selected a sirlgle spot of ground for his cultiva- 
tion, he would roam in fields unthought of, perhaps unknown by his 
hearers, to gather from these multiplied sources their various or- 
naments to enrich and beautify his chosen plat. Every branch of 
experimental science, and every portion of the history of man 
lent its aid in turn, to illustrate the sacred subjects which he dis- 
played. 

" The restlessness of childhood was stilled before him, and little 
children were often among his most admiring and improving hear- 
ers." Tyng's Life of Dr. Btdell. 



SMALL AND GREAT STANDING BEFORE GOD. 

The Christian King of Hungary, and his foolish Brother. — 
Startling Notes of a Trumpet which ice shall all hear. — The Two 
Advents. — Great Day. — Three Stakes driven down. — A Crowd in 
which nobody will escape observation. — The poor friendless Woman 
carrying her own Child to the Grave. — Some great ones who have 
strutted across the Stage of Life. — The opening of God's Account- 
books. — Particulars of the Judgment given by the Judge Himself. 
— Xo general outline will suffice. — The good Boy who icas not so 
good as he thought. — The suddenness with which the Judgment-day 
will come. — What all of us ought to be doing. 



" Great God, what do I see and hear ! 
The end of things created; 
The Judge of man I see appear, 

On clouds of glory seated : 
Beneath His Cross I view the day 
When heaven and earth shall pass away, 
And thus prepare to meet Him." 

Luther. 



SERMON I. 

SMALL AND GREAT STANDING BEFORE GOD. 

gtibtnt. 

I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the 
books were opened. — Rev. xx. 12. 

A CHRISTIAN King of Hungary, being 
-*-*- low-spirited and silent one day, his rattle- 
brained and giddy brother inquired the cause. 

" The truth is," the good man answered, " I 
have been a great sinner against God, and am 
afraid to die and to appear before Him in the 
judgment." 

" Nonsense ! " exclaimed the younger brother, 
in a sneering tone ; " these are nothing but 
gloomy thoughts." 

The king made no reply, but he quietly re- 
solved to teach the thoughtless young man a 
lesson. It was then the custom in Hungary, that 
if the executioner came and blew a loud blast 
of a trumpet before any person's door, it wa« a 
signal that he would, in a short time, be led forth 
to execution. The king accordingly commanded 



10 SERMON I. 

the officer of justice to sound the trumpet before 
his brother's door, at midnight. This was done ; 
and the young man rushed forth, amazed and 
terrified, and, seeing the messenger of death, he 
expected that his doom was sealed. Hastening 
to the royal palace, he cried, aloud to the king, 
" Alas ! brother, what have I done which has 
so grievously offended you ? " 

" Nothing," answered the king. " You have 
never offended me. Is the sight of my execu- 
tioner so dreadful to you ? And shall not I, 
who have grievously offended against God, fear 
to be brought before His judgment-seat ? " 

As the trumpet of the executioner startled 
that foolish young man, so will multitudes be 
dismayed, at the last, when the trumpet of the 
archangel shall wake the slumbering dead, and 
summon us all to the bar of judgment. 

This is the subject which is so vividly brought 
before us, in the solemn services of the Advent 
season. 

Advent, as you know, means coming. There 
are two Advents : the first, the coming of our 
dear Saviour, in great humility, as the gentle 
Babe of Bethlehem; the second, His coming 
with power and glory, to judge the quick and 
the dead. The most important event which 
will ever happen, is that referred to in the text : 



SMALL AND GREAT STANDING BEFORE GOD. 11 

" I saw the dead, small and great, stand before 
God : and the books were opened." 

We are accustomed to speak of grand occa- 
sions, now, such as the inauguration of a Presi- 
dent, or the celebration of some popular an- 
niversary, as " great days ! " 

I was fortunate enough to witness the funeral 
ceremonials in honor of Prince Jerome, in Paris, 
when his body was carried to the grave in the 
same car which had borne the ashes of his brother 
Napoleon to the magnificent Hotel des Invalides ; 
— attended by the grand marshals of France, and 
by thousands of soldiers in their gay uniforms. 

Such pageants as these, however, are as noth- 
ing, compared with what our eyes shall behold 
when the Lord Jesus comes, attended by the 
angelic hosts, to set up His judgment-seat. 

It is so much easier to remember sermons 
which are arranged according to method and 
order, that I shall drive down a few stakes, as 
it were, and fasten the thread of the discourse 
around them. There will be three such stakes 
in this sermon. Who ? Why ? When ? 

I. Who? This is the first stake. Who 
shall make up the assembly spoken of in the 
text ? St. John answers the question : u Small. 
and great." In other words, he means the 
whole human family ; all who have ever lived 
upon the earth. 



12 SERMON I. 

When obscure people mingle in a crowd, they 
generally escape observation. No one seems 
to notice .them, or to care about them. Not so 
at the day of final account. 

" Small and great." Children will be there ; 
children of the rich and of the poor ; children 
of the wise and of the ignorant ; children of 
the good and of the bad. 

The " small" no matter how humble or in- 
significant ; — none will be able £o hide from 
God's sight. 

I once saw a poor, friendless woman carrying 
the coffin of her own little babe to the potter's 
field. I knew not who she was, and I doubt 
whether her child ever had any name at all. 
Not a person in town gave a single thought to 
the circumstance. The neglected woman had 
one person in the procession, — for I turned about 
and went with her, and offered a prayer over the 
lowly grave. When the trump of the Second 
Advent shall sound, even that poor, unknown 
child shall stand up before God. 

The "great" also, will be there. Just think, 
for a moment, of all the wonderful men you 
ever read or heard of: some of them so grand 
and powerful that it seems incredible that any 
Being would be able to control them. Caesar, 
with his insatiable ambition ; Xerxes, casting 



SMALL AND GREAT STANDING BEFORE GOD. 13 

fetters into the sea, to curb its rage ; Alexander 
the Great, lamenting that there was only one 
world for him to conquer ; Bonaparte, with 
hands folded behind his back, and strutting up 
and down, impatient at the least opposition 
or restraint ; Wellington, the mighty hero of 
his age, who went down to his grave crowned 
with laurels which will be unfading so long as 
earthly glories last ; — great all these, in their 
way, but there is One far greater and mightier 
than they ; even the King of kings, before 
whose judgment-seat " small and great " shall 
all appear. 

II. Why? St. John tells us in the text. 
It was a vision which he had of the terrible 
events of the judgment. " The books were 
opened" 

Do you ask " what books? " I answer, God's 
account-books. 

You have often noticed the large books in 
which merchants write down the amount which 
people owe them. Ah ! how fast such columns 
of debts count up ! Just so the Almighty is 
represented as keeping a record of the deeds 
which we are doing now. He has what busi- 
ness men call a debtor and a credit account. If 
you have a doubt of this, listen to what our 
Blessed Saviour says concerning it : " When 



14 SERMON I. 

the Son of Man shall come in His glory ; and 
all the hoi j angels with Him, then shall He sit 
upon the throne of His glory ; and before Him 
shall be gathered all nations ; and He shall sep- 
erate them one from another, as a shepherd di- 
vide th his sheep from the goats." 

Turning, with a gracious welcome to those on 
His right hand, He will bid them enter upon 
the blessedness of His Kingdom, — assigning as 
the reason for the favor thus shown them, the 
faithful records in the book of His remem- 
brance. Every time that His believing people 
had fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited 
the prisoners, or bestowed even a cup of cold 
water on a suffering disciple, out of love to 
the Master, they were really rendering service 
unto Him. 

I must beg you to read the grand passage for 
yourselves in the twenty-fifth chapter of St. 
Matthew, from the 31st verse to the end. 

St. Paul tells us, in plain words, that " Every 
one of us shall give account of himself to God." 
(Romans xiv. 12.) 

The " great " must do it, no matter how high 
they may have held their haughty heads, and 
snubbed those below them ; and laughed at 
goodness ; and made a mock at sin ; and joked 
about death ; -— they must all stand up to be 
judged. 



SMALL AND GREAT STANDING BEFORE GOD. 15 

And, remember, it will be no general outline 
of what they have been about, which will satisfy 
the Judge. I say a general outline, because this 
would present no correct view of the case. A 
father, we will suppose, has been absent from 
home for some time, and when he comes back, 
lie calls his little son to him, and asks, " Have 
you been a good boy ? and ought I to give you 
the present which I promised you, in case you 
obeyed your mother, and behaved properly to 
your sisters, and others about you ? " 

Very likely the little fellow will answer out 
boldly, " Yes," and be sincere in the belief that 
he is telling the truth. 

We will grant that in the main he has done 
tolerably well ; — but, alas ! some things have 
escaped his memory which ought to be taken into 
the account. He has quite forgotten the time 
that he threw stones at the crazy woman ; and 
the sugar which he stole from the pantry ; and 
his thoughtless cruelty in fastening a rope 
across the foot-path, one dark night, to trip 
up anybody who might be passing along. All 
these wrong things have been forgotten, — and 
he looks back upon the weeks of his father's 
absence as having been spent very properly ; — 
and the father, in all likelihood, will never be 
the wiser. Not so when the All-seeing One 
calls small and great to give in their account. 



16 SERMON I. 

III. When ? This was the third stake we 
drove down at the opening of the sermon. 
When will small and great stand before God, 
and the books be opened ? Much sooner than 
we think. Aye, it will be just when our minds 
are least occupied about it. 

The day of judgment will be like any com- 
mon day. The sun will rise as usual. The sky 
will be as blue and beautiful as ever, and the 
earth as calm and quiet. Men will be seen 
going to their labor in the field, or hurrying to 
their stores, and offices, and shops. Gay and 
frolicsome children, with satchels of books, and 
bags of marbles, will be wending their way to 
school. Stages and railroad cars, and steam- 
boats will all be in motion ; millions of letters 
and papers on the way to those who will never 
have time to open them. Lawyers entering 
the door of the court-house, who will have no 
more causes to plead ; frivolous and fashionable 
people will be hurrying their tailors and milli- 
ners for finery which they will never put on ; 
sharp speculators will be planning some new in- 
surance company, or some tempting arrangement 
of city lots in a distant State still covered with 
its primeval forest, to empty the pockets of the 
credulous; some jolly, blustering souls, red and 
swollen with hard drink, will be swearing shock- 



SMALL AND GREAT STANDING BEFORE GOD. 17 

ing oaths ; when, suddenly, a fearful blast of a 
trumpet will be heard, which will arouse even 
the dead from their graves, and the business, 
and folly, and wickedness of living men will 
stop, — and the Lord Jesus Christ will take 
His place on the throne of judgment, and the 
books will be opened. 

Let us ask ourselves the important question, 
Are we ready? Do we behave ourselves like 
those who really expect such things ? 



" How will my heart endure 

The terrors of that day, 
When earth and heaven before His face 

Astonished shrink away ? 

Bu% ere.the trumpet shakes 

The mansions of the dead, 
Hark ! from the Gospel's cheering sound, 

What joyful tidings spread: 

Ye sinners, seek His grace, 
Whose wrath ye cannot bear: 

Fly to the shelter of His Cross, 
And find salvation there. 



II. 

THE WORLD TO BE BURNED UP. 

A Good Friend, and a terrible Enemy. — The Poet Gray and his 
dread of Fire. — Practical Joke. — Burning of Mr. Wesley's House. — 
A Brand plucked from the Fire. — London in Flames. — Other Cities 
which have suffered in like manner. — Small Things compared with 
great. — Shakespeare's paraphrase of Scripture. — The belief of 
the early Pagan Philosophers. — Many Worlds have already been 
burned up. — Volcanoes. — The ease with which the Globe could be de- 
stroyed. — Forethought of prudent People. — Insurance Companies, 
and Fire-engines. — Taking out a Policy. — The only way of being 
safe. 



The terrors of that awful day, 

Oh! who can understand? 
Or who abide, when Thou in wrath 

Shalt lift Thy holy hand? 
The earth shall quake, the sea shall roar, 

The sun in heaven grow pale; 
But Thou hast sworn, and wilt not change 

Thy faithful shall not fail. 

Then grant up, Saviour, so to pass 

Our time in trembling here, 
That when upon the clouds of heaven 

Thy glor}- shall appear, 
Uplifting high our joyful heads, 

In triumph we may rise, 
And enter, with Thine angel train, 

Thy palace in the skies. 

Bishop Doane. 



SERMON II. 

THE WORLD TO BE BURNED UP. 

^tibetxt. 

The earth, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up. — 
2 Pet. Hi. 10. 

FIRE is a good friend, but a terrible enemy. 
The cry of " Fire ! " is always alarming. 
Even when mischievous boys imitate the fearful 
sound, shouting aloud, "Where! where!" the 
nerves of the timid are disturbed. 

The English poet Gray, who wrote the beau- 
tiful " Elegy in a Country Church-yard," had a 
dread of fire which amounted almost to a mania. 
When ne became a student of St. Peter's Col- 
lege, Cambridge, his bedroom was on the second 
story, and he took it into his head, that in case 
of a conflagration, his escape by the stairway 
would be cut off, and that he would certainly be 
burned to death. He therefore had an iron bar 
fixed by strong arms, projecting from the outside 
of his window, to which a rope could be tied, in 
any emergency, and he could thus descend safely 



22 SERMON II. 

to the ground. This excessive caution led his. 
class-mates to play a practical joke upon him, by 
thundering at his door, one night, with loud 
cries of "Fire ! fire ! " The excited poet started 
from his bed, rushed to the window, and slid 
down the rope, when he was greeted with such 
shouts of derision that he abandoned St. Peter's 
College, and made his way to another. The 
window with the iron arms is still shown to 
visitors at Cambridge. 

A most touching incident in the life of John 
Wesley is the destruction of his father's house 
by fire. The venerable clergyman was roused 
from sleep by the alarm of fire on the street, 
and not supposing that the danger was in his 
own dwelling, he opened the bedroom door, 
and found the hall full of smoke, and the roof 
ready to fall in. Directing his wife and two 
daughters to rise and flee for their lives, he burst 
open the nursery-door, where the maid ser- 
vant was sleeping with five children. She 
snatched up the youngest, and calling to the 
others to follow, she rushed forth into the yard. 
The three eldest did as they were told, but John, 
who was only six years old, was not disturbed in 
his slumbers, and, in the universal panic, was for- 
gotten. 

The rest of the family escaped, some through 



THE WORLD TO BE BURNED UP. 23 

the windows, others by the garden door, — and 
when all were congratulating themselves that, at 
least, their lives had been spared, they heard the 
piercing screams of a child, and, on looking up, 
to their horror, they saw poor John, who had 
mounted on a box, by the up-stairs window, ges- 
ticulating with his little arms, and trying to at- 
tract their notice. 

The distracted father ran to the staircase, but 
it was so nearly consumed that it was impossible 
to ascend. Falling on his knees in utter despair, 
he commended the soul of his dear child to 
God. 

There was no time to look for a ladder, but 
one man mounted on the shoulder of another, 
and just as the boy was safely handed down, the 
burning roof fell in. 

" Come, neighbors ! " exclaimed the good cler- 
gyman, in transports of joy, " let us kneel down 
and thank God ! He has given me all my eight 
children. Let the house go; I am rich enough." 

John Wesley gratefully remembered this es- 
cape through life, and, years afterwards, when 
his portrait was painted, in gown and bands, he 
had an emblem of a house in flames put under 
it, with the well-chosen motto, "Is not this a 
brand plucked out of the fire ? " 

The burning of a single house is a terrible cir- 



24 SERMON II. 

cumstance, as this interesting incident shows 
you ; but how much more fearful, when a whole 
town is laid in ashes. 

On the evening of the second of September, 
1666, a fire broke out in London, which, at first, 
occasioned little alarm ; but it spread from roof 
to roof, and from street to street, until two 
thirds of the great metropolis had been reduced 
to ashes, and two hundred thousand people were 
left without a shelter to cover them. 

There was the burning of the grand city of 
Moscow, in 1812, which was destroyed by the 
Russians, to prevent the French from making it 
their winter-quarters, as they had hoped to do, 
that they might be ready to conquer the empire 
of the Czar, on the return of summer. 

We need hardly go to foreign lands for exam- 
ples. New York and Philadelphia, and the 
beautiful city of Portland, in Maine, would fur- 
nish enough. 

The burning of hundreds and thousands of 
houses in a single town, is an awful occurrence, 
indeed, but there is something yet to happen, 
and we shall every one of us behold it, which 
will be infinitely more terrible. St. Peter men- 
tions in the text : " The earth, and the works that 
are therein, shall be burned up" 

Only think of. it! The whole world will be 
destroyed by fire ! 



THE WORLD TO BE BUliNED LT. 25 

" The cloud capt towers, the gorgeous palaces, 
The solemn temples, the great globe itself, 
And all that it inhabits, shall dissolve, 
And like the baseless fabric of a vision, 
Leave not one Avreck behind " 

Shakespeare was thinking of St. Peter's words 
when he wrote these oft-repeated lines. 

It is a curious fact that even the old Pagan 
philosophers believed that the globe would one 
day be destroyed by fire. More than this, — 
worlds much larger than ours, have been burned 
up already. During the last three hundred 
years, thirteen fixed stars (as astronomers call 
them), have disappeared. One of them pre- 
sented a peculiar brilliancy, and seemed to be on 
fire. At first, it was dazzling white, then of a 
reddish yellow, and before its final disappearance, 
it was ashy pale. The period of its burning was 
sixteen months. 

As such things have happened in other worlds, 
it is neither improbable nor absurd to say, that it 
may be the fate of this earth which we inhabit. 
Scoffers and skeptics need not argue that this 
great rock-ribbed ball, covered with earth and 
water, could not be destroyed. God who made 
it, can do with it what He pleases. 

There is no need of forming conjectures as to 
what its fate will be. The Bible has settled the 
question. The world will assuredly be burned 
up. 



26 SERMON II. 

The part of the globe that we live on is nothing 
more than a thin crust or shell. The interior is 
a melted and intensely heated mass of combus- 
tible materials ; and earthquakes are caused by 
the action of these hidden fires. The same 
power which produces these effects, can produce 
much greater ones. 

Volcanoes 1 are merely openings in the earth's 
brittle shell, through which a small portion of 
the hidden fire has forced its way to the surface. 
The Almighty who once, by a word, caused the 
fountains of the great deep to burst forth, and 
brought on the general deluge, can also, by a 
word, call out the pent-up fire, and bring on 
that terrible conflagration which is to destroy the 
globe. 

Prudent people often think beforehand what 
they would do in case they should be in a burning 
house, in one of the upper stories, at a distance 
from the stairway and the door. A rope might 
be let down, after having been fastened to the bed- 
post ; sheets and blankets might be tied together, 
and other ingenious contrivances resorted to. 
Now, how much more necessary to ask what we 
will do when the world is burned up. We might 

1 The name of volcano testifies to the old-time belief that the 
burning hills along the Mediterranean, were the work shops of 
Vulcan and his Cyclops. 



THE WORLD TO BE BURNED UP. 27 

* live to be fifty years old, and never happen to 
be in a house which was destroyed by fire ; but 
we knoiv that the earth will be burned up, and 
that we ourselves shall see it. 

To guard against dangers from fire, people 
have sometimes erected what are called " fire- 
proof" buildings. The merchant has a "safe" 
to keep his account-books in ; and there are 
fire companies, with engines, and hooks and 
ladders, which often render very essential ser- 
vice. 

The old Greeks and Romans had a sort of in- 
surance, especially on ships ; and this system 
has been brought to much perfection in our time. 
When, however, the terrible day mentioned in 
the text shall come, all the fire companies in the 
world will be of no use, and every insurance 
agency will be bankrupt. The good Lord has 
graciously made arrangements for His people, by 
which they may make their escape. In general 
terms it might even be correct to say that in the 
due reception of the ordinances of the Gospel, 
He bestows on them something which corre- 
sponds to an insurance policy. I say that this, in 
general terms, would not be an improper view of 
the case. It should always be remembered, 
when such illustrations are used, that the mere 
fact of our having received Baptism and Con- 



28 SERMON II. 

firmation and the Lord's Supper, will not of itself 
secure our salvation. Even if we allow that the 
Almighty does thus bestow His favor on us, 
and does grant to us, if you please, a policy, this 
will be utterly worthless unless it be taken care 
of. Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, it 
must be our daily effort to live soberly and 
righteously in this evil world. 

In case that one is enveloped in flames, in- 
stead of rushing forth into the open air, where 
the chances of being burned to death will be 
greatly increased, the safest course is to wrap 
up in a flannel garment, or a thick bit of carpet, 
which will soon stifle the fire. Is there any 
covering which will secure us from harm, when 
the world is burned up ? Thanks to God's 
mercy, there is. We may wrap ourselves in the 
robe of the Redeemer's righteousness, and be 
safe. 

We may do it ; but the question is, Shall 
we ? Is the Lord Jesus Christ anything to us ? 
Have we cast ourselves on His mercy? and are 
we striving to serve and please Him in newness 
of life ? If we can say yes, then we need not 
be afraid, even though we know of a surety that 
this world will very soon be burned up. 



III. 

GOD SENDING HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD. 

A happy, joyous Day. — Christmas. — The Missionary to the South 
Sea Islands. — " Can it be true ?" A degree of Mercy which no 
one could have expected. — The first Christmas Gift. — Strange Con- 
ceit, which teaches a Lesson. — Pleasant Picture. — A Country Gen- 
tleman feeding the Poor. — Norwegian Custom. — Dinner for the 
Birds. — The Russian Nobleman. — " You had better wait until 
Morning." — A hungry Pack. — Tico Shots. — Pushing on. — One 
more Expedient. — " Let me save you ! " — How God commendeth His 
Ixrce towards us. — The better for keeping Christmas. 



This is the month, and this the happy morn, 
Wherein the Son of Heaven's eternal King, 

Of wedded maid and virgin mother horn, 
Our great redemption from above did bring, 
For so the holy sages once did sing, 

That He our deadly forfeit should release, 

And with His Father work us a perpetual peace. 

Milton. 

How bright Thy lowly manger beams ! 
Down earth's dark vale its glory streams. 
The splendor of Thy natal night 
Shines through all time in deathless light. 

St. Ambrose 



SERMON III. 

GOD SENDING HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD. 
(Efmstmas. 

God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the -world; but 
that the world through Him might be saved. — St. John iii. 17. 

A HAPPY, joyous day, this blessed Christ- 
-*-^- mas ; — a happy and joyous day to all the 
world. And well it may be. No other day ever 
brought better blessings to our race. Christ- 
mas is the Saviour's birthday. 

' Carol, brothers, carol, 
Carol joyfully; 
Carol the good tidings, 
Carol merrily. 

And pray a gladsome Christmas 
For all good Christian men, 
Carol, brothers, carol, 
Christmas day again." 

A missionary to the South Sea Islands was 
one day reading to a group of natives the re- 
markable announcement made in the text con- 
cerning the* goodness of our Heavenly Father 
in sending His only Son into the world, on a 



32 SERMON III. 

mission of mercy, when a chief interrupted him, 
and said, " What words were those ? Let me 
hear them again ! " The missionary repeated 
them, when the native sprang to his feet and 
asked, " Is that true ? Can that be true ? God 
love the world which did not love Him ! God 
give His own Son to die, that man might not 
die ! Can that be true ? " 

The good missionary assured him that it was 
even so, and the poor islander could no longer 
restrain his feelings, — but gave vent to them in 
tears of joy. 

The story of God's marvelous loving-kind- 
ness towards lost and undone sinners ought 
never to be heard by us unmoved. We are 
so familiar with it, that it will not startle and 
astonish us, as it did the South Sea islander ; 
but our hearts must be hard indeed, if they 
■ are not touched at the remembrance of what 
our Blessed Saviour has done for us. 

That God should condescend to allow His 
Son to come down to this wicked world at all, 
is a great marvel. Indeed, if we had heard that 
the Son of the Highest was about to visit a 
world whose inhabitants were in open rebellion 
against the Divine authority, would not our first 
impression have been that His purpose would 
be to punish the wrong-doers ? And yet, how 



GOD SENDING HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD. 33 

different the object of His coming ! " God sent 
not His Son into the world to condemn the 
world, but that the world through Him might 
be saved." 

The Lord Jesus came to make a full, and 
perfect atonement for our sins ; to work out an 
everlasting righteousness for us ; and to exalt 
us, at last, to the mansions of glory. 

Is it any wonder, then, that the birthday of 
the Saviour should be celebrated, in all Chris- 
tian lands, with gratitude and joy ? Did you 
ever think that the first Christmas gift ever 
made, was the gift of God's own Son, to be our 
Saviour ? 

Even the din of war is hushed, when the 
birthday of the " Prince of Peace " returns, to 
soften and restrain the wrong desires of men. 
Indeed, the lower order of creation were be- 
lieved, by the superstitious, to feel, in some mys- 
terious way, the influence of this holy season. 

Hear what Shakespeare reports concerning 



it: 



" Some say, that ever 'gainst the time that season comes 
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, 
The bird of dawning singeth all night long; 
And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad ; 
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, 
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, 
So hallowed and so gracious is the tin>«." 
3 



34 SERMON III. 

Every child has heard of the odd conceit, 
that, at midnight, on Christmas Eve, all the oxen 
will be found upon their knees. Those who 
choose to laugh at the absurdity of this, may 
at least be reminded by it how the Saviour, at 
His coining in great humility, should find them 
engaged. 

Washington Irving, in his " Sketch Book," 
records this pleasing incident, in no less pleasing 
words : — 

" While I lay musing on my pillow, I heard 
the sound of little feet pattering outside of the 
door, and a whispering consultation. Presently 
a choir of small voices chanted forth an old 
Christmas carol, the burden of which was, — 

" ■ Rejoice, our Saviour He was born 
On Christmas day in the morning.' " 

Immediately after the public services of the 
day, it used to be the custom of the country- 
gentleman, in England, to stand at his gate, and 
give alms to the poor. No offering to the Sav- 
iour is more grateful to Him than the remem- 
brance of His suffering children. 

One of the prettiest Christmas customs is 
that of the Norwegians, who on this day give a 
dinner to the birds. Early in the morning, 
every gable, gate-way, and barn-door is deco- 
rated with a sheaf of corn, fastened to the top 



GOD SENDING HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD. 35 

of a long pole, and the little feathered songsters 
soon discover that the treat is designed for 
them. Even the poorest peasant will contrive 
to have a handful of grain put by for the birds. 

Many other pleasant old customs might be 
mentioned, in this connection, but these must 
suffice. 

The evergreens, which adorn the House of 
God ; our cheerful Christmas greetings ; our 
glad hymns of praise, — all mark this as a 
blessed time. 

" Hail the night, all hail the mora, 
When the Prince of Peace was born ! 
When amid the wakeful fold, 
Tidings good the Angel told. 
Now our solemn chant we raise 
Duly to the Saviour's praise; 
Now, with carol hymns we bless 
Christ the Lord, our righteousness." 

Our thanks can never be earnest and hearty 
enough, because we never can fully appreciate 
what our Saviour really did for us, — when He 
came into the world to suffer and die for us. 

I have a touching little story to tell you, 
which will help you to do this. 

Years ago, a Russian nobleman, with his wife 
and only daughter, were travelling on important 
business, in the interior of the empire. Al- 
though it was earlier than the winter generally 
set in, the nipping frost had already stripped the 



86 SERMON III. 

trees, and turned the green fields to a dingy 
brown. 

The carriage of the nobleman rolled up to 
an inn, and, in great haste, he ordered fresh 
horses to be put to it, that they might reach 
the next station before night. The tavern- 
keeper entreated him not to venture any further 
until the morning, as the wolves were already 
becoming fierce and dangerous. The nobleman 
thought that the man only told him this to alarm 
him, and thus secure a profitable customer for 
the night. He therefore laughed, and said it 
was too early for wolves, and ordered his coach- 
man to drive on. 

Besides the man who drove, there sat on the 
box by his side, a faithful servant, who had been 
born on the nobleman's estate, and who loved 
his master as he did his own life. 

As the carriage rolled along the hardened 
snow, all was quiet in the fields and woods, and 
there seemed no prospect of danger. After a 
while, the little girl said to her father, " What 
is that strange howling ? " " O, nothing," he 
answered ; " it is only the wind sighing through 
the trees." The child was silent, and closed 
her eyes ; but presently she whispered, " Lis- 
ten, father ! It does not sound like the wind 
to me." 



GOD SENDING HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD. 37 

The father put his head out of the carriage 
window, and his face instantly grew pale. Far 
behind in the distance, through the clear, frosty- 
air, he heard a noise, the meaning of which he 
well understood. He spoke to the driver in an 
undertone, " The wolves, I fear, are after us. 
Make haste. Let us have our pistols ready." 
The horses went faster and faster, but the dis- 
mal sound behind came nearer and nearer. 

The nobleman tried to quiet the apprehen- 
sions of his wife and child, and said to the faith- 
ful servant who sat by the driver, " When the 
wolves come up with us, do you single out one 
and fire, and I will do the same ; and while the 
pack stop to devour them, we can hasten on." 

The plan was no sooner agreed upon, than 
it was put in execution. The horrid troop came 
rushing on, with a large dog-wolf at the head. 
Two shots were fired; two of the savage 
creatures dropped dead ; and, while the others 
fell upon them, in their ravenous hunger, the 
carriage gained ground. The repast was a 
short one, and the taste of blood only made 
them more furious. Again they reached the 
carriage : two more shots were fired, with the 
same result. The post-house was still at a dis- 
tance, and, as another make-shift, the nobleman 
ordered the postilion to loose one of his leaders, 



38 SERMON III. 

and thus furnish another bait to the wolves. 
The poor horse was soon torn in pieces, and a 
second shared his fate. 

The carriage now proceeded more slowly, 
being dragged on by only two jaded animals, 
and the place of safety was still far distant. 

A panic seized on all, and no one knew 
what could next be done. Suddenly, the de- 
voted servant called out to his master, " I have 
served you ever since I was a child : I love 
you as my own self. Nothing now can save 
you but one thing. Let me save you ! " 

In vain the affrighted nobleman besought him 
to desist. As soon as the blood-thirsty pack 
reached the carriage again, the faithful servant 
threw himself down amongst them. 

The panting horses were pushed on at a gal- 
lop, and the travellers safely entered the post- 
house gate. 

Greater love hath no man than this, — that 
a man lay down his life for his friend. But God 
commendeth His love toward us, in that while 
we were yet sinners, and His rebellious subjects, 
Christ died for us. 

Ah ! this blessed Christmas is something more 
than an occasion of festivity and mirth. The 
Saviour's birthday reminds us of God's Christ- 
mas gift, — the gift of His own dear Son. I am 
sure we shall all be the better for having kept it. 



IV. 

BRINGING GIFTS TO JESUS. 
King Solomon, and his glorious Reign. — Where was Tharsis? — 
Richly freighted Ships. — The Queen of Sheba. — A much deeper 
meaning to the Text. — Solomona Type of our Saviour. — The Wise 
Men and their Studies — The Star ichich should rise out of Jacob. — 
Mounting Camels and setting off, they Tcneio not where. — Long and 
wearisome Journey. — The Star stands still over Bethlehem. — Un- 
doubting Faith. — Worshipping the infant King. — Costly Gifts. — 
An old Custom still kept up by the English Sovereigns. — Curious Light 
in the Cathedral of Cologne. — Have we any occasion to envy the 
Wise Men ? — The Privilege of every Child of God. 



Brightest and best of the sons of the morning! 

Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid ! 
Star of the east, the horizon adorning, 

Guide Avhere our infant Redeemer is laid. 

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion, 

Odors of Edom and offerings divine, 
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean, 

Myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine ? 

Vainly we offer each ample oblation, 

Vainly with gifts would His favor secure: 

Richer, by far, is the heart's adoration ; 
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor. 

Bishop Hebsr. 



SERMON IV. 

BRINGING GIFTS TO JESUS. 

The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give presents: the 
kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts. — Ps. Ixxii. 10. 

THE original reference in this verse, and, in- 
deed throughout the whole psalm from 
which it is taken, is to the peaceful and glorious 
reign of King Solomon. In answer to his ear- 
nest prayer, God had bestowed upon him " an un- 
derstanding heart, to judge his people ; " and his 
subjects were the better and happier for it. The 
mild and judicious administration of the prince 
was refreshing and salutary as the rain on the 
tender grass. Righteousness prevailed through- 
out his wide-spread dominions. Distant realms 
submitted themselves to his beneficent rule. As 
was foretold in the words of the text, " The 
kings of Tharsis and of the isles " gave " pres- 
ents: the kings of Arabia and Saba" brought 
" gifts." (See 1 Kings x. 22, etc.) 

The learned are not agreed where this Thar- 



42 SERMON IV. 

sis was, but there is strong ground for the 
opinion that it was the same as Tartessus in 
Spain, which was situated not far from the 
Straits of Gibraltar, and near the site of the fa- 
mous city of Granada, of later times. 

Be this as it may, once in three years the ships 
of Tharsis reached the sea-port nearest to the 
court of King Solomon, bringing a goodly freight 
of gold, and silver, and other precious things. 

The Queen of Sheba also came from far, to 
hear the wisdom of this wonderful monarch, and 
to see his glory. You remember that our 
blessed Saviour makes mention of her (St. Matt, 
xii. 42.) The psalm from which I have chosen 
the text, has a much deeper meaning than this. 
It refers to a king greater and mightier than 
Solomon, — even our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Jewish writers taught that the text, and the 
verses connected with it, chiefly allude to the 
glories of the reign of the Messiah ; and the 
early Christian Fathers said the same. Indeed, 
our Lord makes Solomon a type of Himself, in 
His remarkable declaration, " Behold, a greater 
than Solomon is here ! " (St. Luke xi. 31.) 
The prediction in the text was fulfilled in the 
case of our Blessed Lord, when, on the Epiphany, 
the day when Christ Jesus was manifested to the 
Gentiles, wise men came from the Eastern lands 



BRINGING GIFTS TO JESUS. 43 

to Jerusalem, seeking for the newborn King. 
(St. Matthew ii.) In Persia (where it is 
thought that these wise men lived), their atten- 
tion was attracted by a star unlike the other 
heavenly bodies ; and God taught them, in some 
way, that it betokened the coming of the great 
Deliverer. 

The prophecy of Balaam 1 concerning the 
" Star " which should " arise out of Jacob," had, 
very likely, been familiar to them, and prepared 
them to understand the import of the unusual 
sign in the heavens. 

It is worth noting here, that in the Book of 
Revelation, Jesus calls Himself the "bright and 
morning Star." (xxii. 16.) The wide, open 
plains where the wise men of the East watched „ 
their flocks, were most favorable places for the 
study of astronomy, and the map of the blue 
vault above, which they had rudely sketched, 
had been a sort of Bible for them. They had 
given good heed to what this had taught them, 
and God guided them to the truth. 

One thing which strikes us very forcibly in 
these Persian wise men, is their faith. While 
they were watching the Star, it began to move 
slowly onward, — and, as it went, they followed 
it. The three kings (as they are generally 

1 Numbers xxiv. 17. Compare with 2 Pet. i. 19. 



44 SERMON IV. 

called) made haste to mount their camels, and, 
each with his casket of precious gifts, set off to 
pay homage to the new monarch whose birth was 
so signa-lly honored. 

The journey was long and wearisome, but 
nothing was allowed to stop them or turn them 
back. It is said, by tradition, that they travelled 
for twelve successive days, led onward by the 
marvelous light in the heavens. At last the Star 
stood still over the gates of Bethlehem, in the 
land of the children of Rachel, Jacob's beloved 
wife. 

The wise men had journeyed far in faith and 
hope, and now they had their reward. When 
they had gone into the humble habitation indi- 
cated by the Star, they saw the young child, 
with Mary His mother ; and, believing Him to 
be the Holy One, the true Light of the world, 
they fell down and worshipped Him as God. 

The text had foretold that they should offer 
their precious gifts ; and so they did. " When 
they had opened their treasures," says St. Mat- 
thew, " they presented unto Him gifts ; gold, 
and frankincense, and myrrh." 

The gold was an acknowledgment of the roy- 
alty of the Holy Child ; the frankincense, of His 
divine character; and the myrrh, of His suffer- 
ings and death. 



BRINGING GIFTS TO JESUS. 45 

In the royal chapel of St. James, Queen Vic- 
toria still pays her Epiphany oblation to the 
King of kings in gold, frankincense, and 
myrrh. 

I once saw a very curious sight in the grand 
old Cathedral of Cologne. In a conspicuous 
place there, visitors are shown what is called 
" the Shrine of the Magi, or Three Kings of Ori 1 
ent," beneath which their bones are said to be 
buried. The skulls of the wise men, inscribed 
with their names (Gaspar, Melchior, Balthazar) 
written in rubies, are exhibited through an open- 
ing in the shrine. 

I merely mention this as a curious sight. Of 
course, I do not believe that the bodies or the 
skulls of the wise men are in Cologne. As far 
as that goes, it matters little to them or to us 
where they are. 

Do you envy these wise men the privilege of 
beholding the infant Saviour ? Do you say it 
would afford you great satisfaction to worship 
Him, and to present to Him precious gifts? 
You need not envy them, nor complain that you 
cannot do what they did. God allows the same 
privilege to every one of us. 

We often sing the words of the hymn ap- 
pointed for Sunday, which refers to the happi- 
ness we enjoy in public worship. 



46 ' SERMON IV. 

" The King Himself comes near 
To feast His saints to-day ; 
Here may we sit and see Him here, 
And love, and praise, and pray." 

Are we telling an untruth, when we say this ? 
And then, — as to offerings, — we not only may 
bring them to Jesus, but we must. He expects 
all of His people, old and young, to do it. 

When we perform kind acts for the poor, the 
Lord Jesus considers it just the same as if we 
had done them for Himself. 

So, also, when you save up your money, in- 
stead of wasting it all on foolish things, and give 
what you can to help missionaries, and build 
churches, and buy good books and tracts, — you 
are offering gifts to the Saviour. 

He is pleased with these sacrifices which we 
make for His sake ; but never does He look with 
more favor on us, than when we give up our- 
selves to His service. 

" The mite my willing hands can give, 
At Jesus's feet I lay; 
Grace shall the humble gift receive: 
Abounding grace repa}*." 

When the wise men came to Bethlehem, they 
did not kneel to Joseph, nor the manger, nor even 
to the Blessed Virgin, but it was the Holy Child 
Jesus whom they fell down and worshipped. He 
alone should be the object of our devotion, and 
of our highest love. 



THE EXAMPLE OF WASHINGTON. 

' ; How can I make my Name to be remembered longest upon Earth t " 
Curious Circumstance. — " Good Saint George Washington.'" — Beau- 
tiful Custom. — A Christening and Catechising in the Olden Time. — 
Filial Obedience. — " Fetch bach my Trunk I " — The Curiosity of the 
Quaker. — Giving up. — " Army Orders'''' about the Observance of 
Sunday. — A Christian at all Times, and under all Circumstances. — 
Persuading Lafayette not to fight a Duel. — Examples of Christian 
Kindness. — Ride on a Winter's Morning which led to important Ends. . 
— A good Man enters upon his everlasting Rest. — Will not many say 
" Amen " to our closing Prayer? 



Washington. 

He lives ! not in a house of clay, 

Forever soon to pass away ; 

Nor, only on the. scroll of fame, 

Soon given to oblivion's claim; 

Nor, but on History's page, 

A beacon for an after age. 

In holier, more enduring state, 

Still lives the loved, the good, the great; 

His name by freemen ever blest, 

His image on each heart shall rest 



SERMON Y. 

THE EXAMPLE OF WASHINGTON. 
He was a good man. — Acts xi. 24. 

"VTOTHING is half so mighty as goodness. 
-^ If an ambitious man should ask, " How can 
I make my name to be remembered longest 
upon earth ? " I would answer, " Try to be good, 
and to do good." 

A traveller in Nicaragua, in 1857, notes this 
curious circumstance in his diary. " There is a 
church at Stivas, over the principal portal of 
which is a very well executed bust of the leader 
of the American Revolution, and, on inquiring 
of a native of the town, I was informed that it 
was a bust of the ' good saint, George Washing- 
ton ! ' I confess that, as I passed this church, 
I felt like taking off my hat, and I did it, not 
because of custom, but because I could not 
help it." 

A year later, a dear friend of mine wrote : — 



50 SERMON V. 

" In lately sailing down the Potomac, we were 
much impressed by the solemn tolling of the 
steamboat bell as we passed the hallowed spot 
where rest the mortal remains of the illustrious 
Washington. The touching custom is never 
omitted, and it is said that, for half a century, 
it has been observed by every boat or ship, 
while passing the sacred shade. This twenty- 
second of February is the birthday of George 
Washington. It is certainly one of those oc- 
casions which may well be noticed in a sermon ; 
and no text could be more fitting than that 
which has just been announced : " He ivas a 
good man." 

It would be an easy task, by a few bold 
strokes, to sketch in outline, a portrait of the 
" Father of his Country," which would bring 
distinctly into view his devotion to duty, his 
disinterestedness, and his noble self-sacrifice. 
Our present purpose, however, will be accom- 
plished best, by dwelling on some lesser de- 
tails (the world may consider them almost tri- 
fling) which helped to make up the life of good- 
ness which we desire to hold up as a pattern for 
others. 

On a bright April day, in 1732, an infant, 
five weeks old, was brought by his parents to 
" Pope Creek Church," Westmoreland County, 



THE EXAMPLE OF WASHINGTON. 51 

Virginia, to be engrafted into Christ's Church 
by baptism. It was in this same humble sanc- 
tuary, that George Washington, as a boy, used 
to stand up with the other children of the 
neighborhood, and recite the Catechism to the 
parish clergyman, — the same Catechism which 
so many of you have learned. 

I fancy that I can hear the manly tones in 
which the little hero would repeat the words, 
in answer to the question as to what his conduct 
ought to be with respect to his neighbor ; " to 
be true, and just, in all my dealings . . . and to 
do my duty in that state of life unto which it shall 
please G-od to call me." 

Little did he dream how great a work he then 
agreed to perform. It was in this same house 
of prayer that " he received those early impres- 
sions of religion, which, instead of being effaced 
by age, seemed to grow with his growth, and 
strengthen with his strength. 1 

In every great crisis in human affairs, God 
has raised up a suitable instrument to carry out 
His own wise and gracious purposes. It seems 
impossible for any one to question the fact that 
George Washington was designed to be such an 
instrument. 

1 Bishop Meade's Old Churches and Families of Virginia, vol. 
ii. p. 162. 



52 SERMON V. 

We discover in his character a wonderful 
combination of qualities, all calculated to aid in 
the purpose which he was required to accom- 
plish. In him we have a model of the patriot, 
the hero, the gentleman, the statesman, the 
Christian, and the sage ; and, to sum up all in 
a single line, " He was a good man." 

We cannot describe him as learned, nor bril- 
liant, but he certainly was a man of wonderful 
common sense, — unselfish, and noble. Many 
judges, sitting in state, in their robes of office, 
have been less just, and many bishops, in lawn, 
less holy. 

So many orations and discourses have dwelt 
at large upon his unsullied patriotism, and other 
traits of character which the world professes to 
admire, that our attention will be wholly directed 
now to the single point of his goodness. 

1. And first we claim for George Washing- 
ton the beautiful tribute of the text, because of 
his filial obedience. 

In his tenth year his good father died. The 
devotion of the boy to his mother was beautiful 
in the extreme. 

In his fourteenth year, his cherished desire 
of obtaining the appointment of midshipman, 
on board of an English man-of-war, was ac- 
complished. Every arrangement had been made 



THE EXAMPLE OF WASHINGTON. 53 

for his departure ; his trunk packed ; the little 
boat waiting to carry him on board, and he had 
gone to bid his dear mother, " good-by," when 
her swimming eyes and her look of anguish 
entirely overmastered him. 

He turned to the servant and said, " Go and 
tell them to fetch my trunk back. I will not go 
away to break my mother's heart ! " 

" O, my boy," she said, in transports of joy, 
" God has promised to bless the children that 
honor their parents, and I am sure He will bless 
you." 

Even when George Washington had become 
a world-renowned hero, and the head of this 
mighty nation, he was still the same dutiful son. 

2. The Father of his Country is also entitled 
to the praise of being " a good man " on account 
of his habits of prayer. 

Throughout his whole life, he had regular 
times for holding communion with God, and 
nothing was allowed to interrupt them. 

In the midst of his troubles and perplexities, 
as commander-in-chief of the American armies, 
he was often observed to withdraw to some se- 
cluded spot, and, on one occasion, a Quaker in 
the interest of the British, had the curiosity to 
follow him to a grove to see what could have 
taken him there. To his amazement, he saw 



54 SERMON V. 

the good man on his knees, engaged in earnest 
prayer. 

The Quaker returned to his family, and said, 
in real distress of mind, "Our cause is lost; 
George Washington is asking the help of the 
Almighty ! " 

Those who had the best possible opportuni- 
ties of knowing, testify, that to the end of life, 
Washington continued to seek strength and 
direction from Him who alone can bestow such 
blessings. 

3. The great man whose birthday we are 
now celebrating showed that he was good by his 
strict observance of the Lord's day. 

His " army orders " on the subject are models 
in their way, and leave no doubt as to the feel- 
ings of the commander-in-chief in regard to the 
respect due to the God of battles, and the time 
set apart for His service. Washington always 
attended public worship, when it was possible to 
do so, — and in cases when no afternoon service 
was held, he read the Church service, and a 
sermon, to his own household. 

4. Washington was " a good man " because 
he was never ashamed to behave himself as a 
Christian, — and so far as he could, discharge his 
duties as such. He was one of the few who 
kneeled humbly on their knees during the first 



THE EXAMPLE OF WASHINGTON. 55 

prayer in Congress. He read the burial service 
over the unfortunate Braddock, and on other 
occasions when no chaplain was at hand to do it. 
He was a vestry-man of two parishes, — and 
built a church at his own cost. He received 
the Lord's Supper. He openly rebuked pro- 
fane swearing, even at his own table. He was 
so particular about having a blessing said before 
meals, that, through inadvertence, he did it 
one day when a clergyman was present. He 
warmly expostulated with his friend General 
Lafayette, who was about to fight a duel with 
an English officer, for an insult offered to 
France. His Christian liberality was most com- 
mendable. He wrote to his overseer to open 
his granaries to the poor. He sent a handsome 
sum of money to Bishop White, to be devoted 
to alms-deeds. He fitted up a house for a crip- 
pled British soldier, who passed his last days at 
Mount Vernon. And so we might go on, until 
time failed us, in enumerating these practical 
evidences that Washington was " a good man." 
But we must hasten to the trying hour which 
will prove to all of us, at last, on what founda- 
tion our hopes are built, — the hour of death. 

5. Washington had often prayed, in the Lit- 
any, to be delivered from " sudden death." 
We understand this in the sense of being un- 



56 SERMON V. 

prepared, unfitted to depart; and. in this sense, 
his petitions were not disregarded. 

On a chill December morning, he mounted 
his horse for his accustomed ride about his farm. 
A storm was brewing, and prudence suggested 
that a man of sixty-eight had better remain at 
home. He went, however, and you all know 
what followed — a sudden and severe indispo- 
sition, which baffled medical skill, and a speedy 
departure to his glorious rest. The last effort 
of the expiring patriot was worthy of himself. 
Raising himself up for a moment, and casting 
a benignant look on the anxious friends who 
stood around his bed, as if to thank them for 
their kind attentions, he composed his limbs, 
closed his eyes, and folding his arms upon his 
bosom, breathed out his soul with the whis- 
pered prayer, " Father of mercies, take me to 
Thyself ! " 

May God raise up other Washingtons io bless 
our land ! May we all be encouraged by his 
example to strive to be good ! 



VI. 

THE LESSONS OF WINTER. 

How Winter gets its Name. — A marked Feature of the Season. — 
Snow-crystals. — Sugar in Abundance. — Praising God for Ice and 
Snow. — Uses-of Winter. — The Warmth of Snow. — The Yorkshire 
Woman makes Trial of it. — Eight Days under a Snow-bank. — The 
Luxury of Ice. — Best Climate for Consumptives. — Warm Over- 
coats for the Animals. — A Flight in the Winter. — Home-scenes 
sketched by Poets. — God's abundant Mercies. — The Proof we 
must give that we are His Children. 



See, Winter comes, to rule the varied year, 
Sullen and sad, with all his rising train; 
Vapors and clouds and storms. 

Thompson. 

The flower of Spring may wither; the hope of Summer fade; 
The Autumn droop in Winter, the hirds forsake the shade; 
The wind he lulled, the star and moon forget their old decree; 
But we, in Nature's latest hour, O Lord, will cling to Thee! 

Bishop Heber. 






SERMON VI. 

THE LESSONS OF WINTER. 

Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. — St. Matt. 
xxiv. 20. 

THE name Winter is given to th'is season of 
the year on account of the prevalence of 
winds and storms. 

The coldness of these dreary months is owing, 
in part, to the shortness of the days, or the time 
that the sun is above the horizon, and to the ob- 
lique direction in which his rays fall upon the 
portion of the globe where winter reigns. 

In the torrid zone, as you know, there is no 
winter in the ordinary sense of the word ; but a 
rainy season without ice, snow, or frost, takes its 
place. This is also the case in tropical regions, 
both north and south of the equator. 

One of the marked features of winter in our 
latitude, is the snow, which covers the face of 
nature with a beautiful white mantle. This is 
nothing more than the vapor of the atmosphere 
congealed by cold. 

Snow-flakes often appear in most striking 



60 sermon vr. 

forms. Some of them, called snow-crystals, are 
extremery beautiful, and have engaged the atten- 
tion of scientific men. When examined through 
a microscope, snow is one of the most wonderful 
things in nature, and after having scrutinized 
the pure, shining particles in this way, we can 
better appreciate the language in the Book of 
Job, where "the treasures of the snow " are 
spoken of. (Chap, xxxviii. 22.) 

There is, perhaps, nothing which strikes the 
native of a warm climate more forcibly, on pass- 
ing his first winter in a colder region, than the 
sight of snow. You have all heard of the little 
girl from the East Indies who had been sent to 
England to be educated, and who, waking up one 
morning, and seeing the ground covered with this 
white sheet, clapped her hands in delight, declar- 
ing she had never seen so much sugar before ! 
Wonderful, wonderful indeed, are the works of 
God, and, as in the old hymn in the Prayer Book, 
called the Benedicite, we may well call on the 
Frost and Cold and the Ice and Snow, to praise 
and magnify Him forever. 

However disagreeable a very severe winter 
may be, in some respects, it yet serves most 
important purposes. The sap retires from the 
extremities of shrubs and trees, and takes refuge 
in the roots, thus giving them a time to rest and 
recuperate. 



THE LESSONS OF WINTER. 61 

The covering of snow which, is spread over 
the earth protects the grass and the grain, and 
keeps all things which grow out of the ground 
snug and warm. 

You would be astonished how much warmth 
there is in this snowy blanket ; for it really de- 
serves the name. 

A few years ago, a woman in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, was overtaken by a terrible snow-storm, on 
the open moors, and was buried under the great 
drifts for forty-three hours. By keeping a little 
breathing place open above her head, she saved 
herself from suffocation, and, on the second day, 
a man crossing the dreary region, espied a bon- 
net on the top of the snow, and came to her re- 
lief. 

A more remarkable instance still, was that of 
Elizabeth Woodstock. In the winter of 1799, 
she was returning on horseback from Cambridge 
to her home in a neighboring village ; and hav- 
ing dismounted for a few minutes, the horse ran 
away from her. At seven o'clock on a dreary 
winter evening, she sat down under a thicket, 
weary, chilled with cold, and completely dis- 
heartened. It soon began to snow, and being 
too weak to rise, she was obliged to occupy her 
uncomfortable seat on the frozen ground, and, 
by the morning, the snow had drifted up two 



62 SERMON VI. 

feet above her head. By a great effort, she 
tied her handkerchief to a little stick, and thrust 
it through the snow, partly for a signal for any- 
one who might chance to pass that way, and 
partly as a breathing hole. 

The poor woman soon fell into a deep sleep, 
and day and night followed each other without 
her being conscious of anything ; except that she 
now and then heard the church bells, and other 
familiar sounds. It was not until the eighth day 
that the handkerchief fluttering at the end of the 
stick was discovered, and the unhappy sufferer re- 
leased. Her only substitute for food during that 
period was one single pinch of snuff! 

You see, therefore, that a covering of snow is 
a pretty warm and comfortable one after all. 

Those who are disposed to grumble when 
pinched by the cold of winter, would do well to 
think of the luxury which it secures for us in 
the shape of ice for the warm weather. 

Moreover, the nipping frost kills off the myr- 
iad hordes of insects ; dries up the seeds of in- 
fectious and deadly diseases ; improves the blood, 
on which our very existence depends ; and gives 
new vigor to the worn-out and wasted system. 
Consumptive patients are no longer sent to gasp 
and faint beneath the orange-groves of a debili- 
tating southern clime, but uniform aHd invigor- 



THE LESSONS OF WINTER. 63 

ating cold weather is found much better for 
them. 

Winter, besides being an useful season, is cer- 
tainly a very beautiful one. The earth spread 
smoothly over with its white coverlid ; the icy 
tracery of the trees ; and the fantastic pictures 
which the frost draws on the window-panes, — 
what could be more beautiful than these ? The 
goodness of our Heavenly Father is plainly dis- 
covered in the provision which He makes for 
the lower orders of creation, to protect them 
from the rigors of winter. The more delicate 
birds are instructed by their instincts to fly off 
to warmer latitudes. The creatures which are 
to remain behind, need not go to clothing-stores 
for thick coats ! The fur, and hair, and feathers 
on their bodies, are made abundantly warm to 
protect them ; and the colder the winter which 
is approaching, the better does their gracious 
Creator provide for them. 

In the text, our Saviour was speaking of the 
awful calamity which was about to be sent upon 
doomed Jerusalem ; its long siege by the Roman 
armies ; and the famine and the pestilence which 
would follow. A flight in the winter would 
only be heightening the coloring of so terrible a 
picture. Hence the advice which He gives ; 
" Pray ye that your flight be not in the win- 
ter" 



64 SERMON VI. 

Many of you will remember an instance of 
such a flight, which was disastrous in the ex- 
treme. In the autumn of 1812, Napoleon en- 
tered Moscow with 120,000 soldiers, intending to 
pass the winter there in comfort. On the 13th 
of October (three weeks earlier than it had 
ever been known before), snow began to fall. 
The proud Emperor looked out of his window in 
dismay, and decided to hasten back at once, and 
establish his winter quarters in the friendly cities 
of Poland. It was a march through a dreary 
and desolate region, of more than a thousand 
miles ; but he put on a bold front, and the troops 
began to retire in good order. A week later, 
and the grand army was in full retreat. Bleak, 
chilling winds howled through the leafless trees ; 
the weary soldiers were blinded by the flakes of 
snow and sleet ; their embittered enemies at- 
tacked them in every unguarded point ; order 
and discipline were forgotten ; the ranks were 
broken, and each man struggled on as best he 
could ; the dead and the dying were trodden 
down ; hundreds of horses were slain for food ; 
all ideas of conquest were banished; Napoleon 
himself left the army to its fate ; and each day's 
weary march was marked by heaps of broken 
wagons, and abandoned cannon, and white hil- 
locks of snow, beneath which the frozen bodies 
of man and beast were buried. 



THE LESSONS OF WINTER. 65 

With such a dreadful picture of misery before 
you, it will be easy to understand the tender 
compassion which prompted the Saviour to say : 
" Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter." 

The poets have taken delight in sketching 
scenes of home comfort, during this season of 
frost and cold. Thus Cowper, in his old-fash- 
ioned way, exclaims — 

" Winter ! ruler of th' inverted year, 
I crown thee king of intimate delights ; 

Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, 
And all the comforts that the lowly roof 

Of undisturbed retirement, and the hour 
Of long uninterrupted evening know." 

These, and other mercies, God has bestowed 
upon us, and the least we can do in return, is to 
show our gratitude, not only with our lips, but in 
our lives. 

Especially ought we to remember those who 
are suffering the sad privations of poverty, and 
be glad to relieve their wants when we are able. 
No one can claim to have the love of God abid- 
ing in his heart, who is willing to see a fellow 
mortal destitute of food and clothing, and make 
no effort to help. The more merciful we are, 
the better shall we deserve to be called God's 
children. 



1 



vn. 

THE SAVIOUR'S SELF-DENIAL. 

Sober and solemn, but not stupid. — Many Ways in which our Sav- 
iour pleased not Himself. — Children to be taught to keep Lent. — 
The three Boys and their Cakes. — Sir Philip Sidney and the 
wounded Soldier. — Fearful Accident in a Coal-pit. — " Don't mina 
me!" — Self-denial in small Things as well as great. — The little 
German Girl who teas twice rewarded for being unselfish. — True 
view of the Duty. — Good Mr. Fletcher. — " Too much Money, ana 
too little Work ! " — How to learn an hard Lesson. 



Brave conqueror ! for so you are, 
That war against your own affections, 
And the huge army of the world's desires. 

Shakespeare. 

Welcome, dear feast of Lent ; who loves not thee, 
He loves not temperance nor authority, 

But is composed of passion. 
The Scriptures bid us fast ; the Church says, now ; 
Give to thy mother what thou wouldst allow 

To every corporation. 

George Herbert. 



SERMON VII. 

THE SAVIOUR'S SELF-DENIAL. 
Even Christ pleased not Himself. — Rom. xv. 3. 

A LTHOUGH this sermon is one appropriate 
-£^- to the solemn season of Lent, through 
which we are passing now, it does not follow 
that it must be dry and uninteresting. Indeed, 
I hope to make it not only profitable, but also 
pleasant to you. 

St. Paul does not mean to be understood by 
what he tells us in the text, that our adorable 
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, came into this 
world reluctantly, and because He was obliged 
to do it. It was of His own free will that He 
labored for us, and suffered, and died. 

" He left His radiant throne on high, 
Left the bright realms of bliss, 
And came to earth to bleed and die ! 
Was ever love like this? " 

The Apostle merely wishes to make it plain 
to us, that while the Lord Jesus lived in this 



70 SERMON VII. 

world, His great desire and purpose was to ac- 
complish His Heavenly Father's will. In order 
to do this, He was contented to undergo every 
trial, and persecution, and suffering, and even 
the cruel and degrading death of the cross. He 
sought neither wealth nor honor, nor the favor 
of the great, nor His own convenience and com- 
fort. "Even Christ pleased not Himself " 

He became poor, miserably poor, that His 
people might be rich. He was willing to be cast 
down and despised, that they might be exalted. 
He became wretched, that they might be happy. 

When the people were actually carried away 
by their kinder feelings, and wished to* take Him 
by force and make a king of Him, whether He 
was willing or not, He withdrew Himself into 
retirement, that He might escape their trouble- 
some importunties. 

He was much better pleased to have gentle 
Mary sit quietly and patiently listening to His 
teachings, than when bustling, generous-hearted 
Martha took uncommon pains with her household 
cares, that the Master might be well served. 

He paid the tax towards the support of the 
temple worship, although, as the Son of the King 
of kings, He need not have done it. And so, 
in all things, iu His life and death, He taught us 
the great lesson of self-denial. He did this to 



THE SAVIOUR'S SELF-DENIAL. 71 

set us an example ; and, as far as we are able, it 
is our duty to try and imitate Him. 

Even children are expected to do this. Hence, 
you' observe in the Epistle for Ash Wednesday, 
that they are expressly mentioned : — " Sanctify 
n Fast, call a solemn assembly : gather the people, 
sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, 
gather the children" 

I am glad that so many of you are learning to 
practice self-denial : and the fact that you do not 
spend your money in toys, and cakes, and candy, 
during Lent, is evidence that you are, at least, 
making the effort. It is a hard lesson for big or 
little, and yet, we are very wrong if we put 
forth no exertions to master our natural selfish- 
ness. 

You all remember the old story of the three 
boys at boarding-school, to whom nice large cakes 
had been sent by their thoughtful mothers ; — 
stingy Harry, greedy Peter, and generous JBilly. 
Who can help disliking the stingy and the greedy 
fellows, and feeling kindly towards the generous 
one? 

Sir Philip Sidney (who flourished in the days 
of Queen Elizabeth) held a high office in the 
Netherlands, under his uncle the Earl of Lei- 
cester. He was a brave and noble man, whom 
everybody esteemed. 



72 SERMON VII. 

After he had received his death-wound, at the* 
battle of Zutphen, and was overcome with thirst 
from excessive loss of blood, he called out, 
faintly, for a drink of water, which was quickly- 
brought to him. Just as he was raising the cup 
to his parched lips, he saw a poor wounded sol- 
dier carried along, who fixed his eager eyes on 
the cool water. Sir Philip handed him the cup, 
saying kindly, " Take it, friend. Thy necessity 
is greater than mine ! " 

Who could help loving so unselfish a man ? 
And does not such an action as this remind us 
of our dear Master, of whom we are told in the 
text, that He "pleased not Himself?" 

Several men and boys were one day working 
in a coal-pit, in England, when the iron handle 
of the cart, in which they were, suddenly broke, 
and a man and a boy who were hanging on the 
rope above, sprang up, by a great effort, and 
seized hold of a chain, which always hangs at the 
side of the shaft, as a guide. It was soon known 
by those at the mouth of the pit, that an accident 
had happened below, and a miner was sent down 
with a rope, to render what help he could. 

, He came first in his descent to a boy named 
Daniel' Harding (it is worth while to remember 
the names of such noble fellows), and when the 
man prepared to rescue him from his dangerous 



THE SAVIOUR'S SELF-DENIAL. 73 

plight, the generous and unselfish lad exclaimed, 
" Don't mind me ! I can hold on a little longer. 
Further down you will find Joseph Bawn, and 
he is nearly ready to faint. Make haste to 
him ! " 

How glad you will be to know that both Jo- 
seph and Daniel were saved. You need not, and 
you ought not to wait for great occasions, when 
you may practice self-denial. We can manifest 
the spirit of unselfishness just as well in small 
matters, as in great ones. Give the best apple, 
or peach, to your little friend ; and the warmest 
place by the fire ; and always offer the most 
comfortable seat to the sick, or to persons older 
than yourself; and so will you be learning the 
great lesson of self-denial. 

The Germans have a pretty story about a little 
girl named Jeannette, who once w r ent out to see 
a grand review of troops. She found an excel- 
lent place, from which she could enjoy the fine 
spectacle, when she observed an old woman be- 
hind her, trying very hard to get where she 
could see the soldiers. Jeannette pitied her, 
and said to herself, " I should like to see the troops 
march, but it is not kind in me to stay in this 
nice seat and let the old woman stand there 
where she can't see anything. I ought to honor 
old age, and I will." 



74 SERMON VII. 

So Jeannette called the old woman, and plac- 
ing her in her own comfortable seat, quietly re- 
tired among the crowd. There she had to stand 
on tiptoe, and peep, and dodge about, to catch 
even a glimpse of the splendid scene which she 
might have seen so easily if she had kept her 
place. Some of the people laughed at her, and 
called her a silly girl. It was hard to bear this, 
but still Jeannette was not sorry that she had 
done her duty. 

A few minutes later, a man in gay uniform 
elbowed his way through the crowd, and said to 
her, " Little girl, will you come to her lady- 
ship ? " 

Jeannette could not imagine who her ladyship 
was, or what she could possibly want with her, 
but she followed the man to a sort of balcony 
not far oif. A lady, with a pleasant smile, said 
to her, " My dear child, I saw you give up your 
seat to the old woman. You acted nobly. Now, 
sit down by me. You can see everything here." 
And thus, for a second time was Jeannette re- 
warded for honoring old age, by practicing self- 
denial herself. 

We ought not to expect to be paid for doing 
our duty, but it will often happen that we shall 
be. Even when no rich person sees and rewards 
us here, there is One whose approval we shall be 



THE SAVIOUR'S SELF-DENIAL. 75 

sure to win — the approval of the Saviour who 
" pleased not Himself." 

There was once a most devoted clergyman in 
England, named Fletcher, who, for a long while 
had attracted the attention of good people by his 
faithful discharge of his duties. At length, a 
friend went to him, and said, " I can get the 
parish of Durham, in Cheshire, for you, if you 
will take it. The work is light, and the income 
good." It was two thousand dollars a year. 

Mr. Fletcher mused a little while, and meekly 
answered, " I thank you, very "h ear til y, for your 
kind intentions for me ; but, really, that parish 
will not suit me. There is too much money and 
too little work." 

" A very singular objection ! " said the other, 
" and one which few men would make. It is a 
great pity to decline such an excellent parish. 
But how would you like Madely ? " 

Mr. Fletcher's face brightened : " That would 
be the very place for me." And he took it, with 
only half the salary offered him at the other 
parish ; and there, in the practice of the self- 
denial which he had learned from his Heavenly 
Master, he passed his useful life. 

And thus I have shown you by examples of 
young and old, how beautiful is this spirit of un- 
selfishness, which renders us something like the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 



76 SERMON VII. 

I hope that you will all begin to try to think 
less of pleasing yourselves, and more of being 
kind and considerate towards others. Practice 
this lesson of self-denial at home, and at school, 
and on the play-ground, and everywhere. 

You will be strongly tempted to go back to 
your old ways, and to be selfish. Struggle hard 
against this evil influence, and ask God to help 
you. And especially during this Lenten season 
may we adopt the words of the beautiful collect, 
and pray to that Saviour who " pleased not Him- 
self! " " O Lord, Who for our sake didst fast forty 
days and forty nights : give us grace to use such 
abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the 
Spirit, we may ever obey Thy godly motions in 
righteousness and true holiness, to Thy honor 
and glory.' ) Amen. 



VIII. 

THE SAVIOUR'S SUFFERINGS AND DEATH. 

Good Friday. — Impressive Services. — Events of Tlmrsday night 
in Holy Week. — Institution of the Lord's Svpper. — Word of Com- 
fort. — The parting Hymn. — Treachery of Judas. — The sham 
Trial. — Brutal Jests and Revilings. — St. Peter's cowardly Denial. 
— Condemned to Death. — Sympathy when least expected. — Ter- 
rible Prediction. — Simon the Cyrenian enjoys a special Honor. — 
Preparing the Victim. — An intended Kindness refused. — Mirac- 
ulous Darkness overspreads the Land. — All Nature convulsed. — 
" Truly this was the Son of God!" 



0, sacred head, now wounded ! 

With grief and shame weighed do> 
O, sacred brow, surrounded 

With thorns, Thy only crown ! 
0, sacred head, what glory, 

What bliss, till now was Thine ! 
Yet though despised and gory, 

I joy to call Thee mine. 

On me, as Thou art dying, 

O turn Thy pitying e}*e ! 
To Thee for mercy crying, 

Before Thy cross I lie. 
Thy grief and Thj^ compassion 

Were all for sinners' gain ; 
Mine, mine, was the transgressioi 

But Thine the deadly pain. 



SEHMON VIII. 

THE SAVIOUR'S SUFFERINGS AND DEATH. 
&aats dfrfaap. 

Before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath heen evidently set forth, 
crucified among you. — Gal. ill. 1. 

/^i OOD Friday ! There is something impress- 
^^ ive and touching in the very name. On 
this day we commemorate the sufferings and 
death of our dear Lord and Master. As we 
bear our part in the solemn services, the terrible 
scenes attending His crucifixion rise up before 
us, — and we are prepared to say, like the 
Apostle, in the text, that the Lord Jesus, in His 
hour of mortal agony, is " evidently set forth 
before our eyes." 

Well may that day be called Good, on which 
such amazing good was secured to our fallen 
race. 

The Good One died this day, in agony on the 
cross, to make a full and perfect atonement for 
our sins. Aye, the Good One died, to make us 
good. We cannot, therefore, be too tnankful 
for Good Friday. 



80 SERMON VIII. 

At the close of the Feast of the Passover, 
on Thursday night, our blessed Master instituted 
the Lord's Supper, which was to be received by 
His followers in all after time, in remembrance 
of His meritorious cross and passion. Before 
the little company left the upper room where 
the solemnities had taken place, Jesus spoke 
those tender words, so well calculated to soothe 
the sorrow of His disciples, at the thought of 
His leaving them : " In My Father's house are 
many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. 
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again and receive you unto Myself : that 
where I am there ye may be also." 

Having sung several of the Psalms of David, 
which commonly closed the paschal supper 
(from the 115th, to the 118th inclusive), the 
Saviour and eleven of the Apostles proceeded 
to the Mount of Olives, by the light of the full 
moon. The wretched Judas was not with them. 
He had gone to complete his arrangements for 
the betrayal and seizure of his Master. 

The blessed company retired to the quiet gar- 
den of Gethsemane, where Jesus had often been 
with the disciples before, for meditation and 
prayer. He knew the fearful agonies which 
were now so close at hand — not only the ex- 
cruciating sufferings attending the death of the 



THE SAVIOUR'S SUFFERINGS AND DEATH. 81 

cross, but the withdrawal of His Father's coun- 
tenance, and the temptations of the evil one. 
He had consented to pay the penalty of our 
multiplied misdoings, and He had counted the 
cost. 

No wonder that His soul was exceeding sor- 
rowful, even unto death, for the agony through 
which He passed was so great, that His sweat 
was like drops of blood, which moistened the 
ground on which He lay. We have often re- 
peated the familiar words of the hymn, — but 
how little can we enter into their real meaning ! 

" By Thine hour of dark despair, 
By Thine agony of prayer, 
By the purple robe of scorn, 
By Thy wounds, Thy crown of thorns, 
By Thy cross, Thy pangs and cries, 
By Thy perfect sacrifice ; 
Jesus, look with pitying eye ; 
Hear our solemn Litany. 

Torches and lanterns were seen gleaming 
through the old sycamore trees of Gethsemane, 
and a noisy rabble appeared, led by Judas, and 
armed as if for the arrest of some dangerous 
outlaw. 

You have heard the particulars of this dread- 
ful business in the services to-day. The be- 
trayal, by Judas, with a kiss : a myriad of 
angels ready to rush forth to the rescue ; but 



82 SERMON VIII. 

the Lord Jesus content to be led as a meek and 
uncomplaining lamb to the slaughter. 

We have seen Him dragged first to the house 
of Annas, who had once been high-priest, and 
who was the father-in-law to Caiaphas, the pres- 
ent incumbent of the office. From thence, He 
was hurried to the palace of Caiaphas, bound as a 
culprit, and exposed to the insults and mockery 
of the people ; where a sham trial was gone 
through with, and the Saviour accused of blas- 
phemy. Then came Peter's cowardly denial, — 
a denial much harder to endure than the crown 
of thorns, and the spitting, and scourging of the 
hired soldiers ; and so the weary hours dragged 
slowly on, until nine o'clock on this Good 
Friday morning, when the poor Sufferer, weak 
and fainting from the cruelties He had endured, 
passed out the city gate, bearing His own cross. 

I am sure that the eyes of some of you must 
have been dimmed with tears as you listened to 
the Old Testament lesson for this morning, in 
which the sacrifice of Isaac is described ; but 
I have merely referred to it now to tell you that 
it was on the same Mount Moriah where Abra- 
ham prepared to offer his only son as a sacrifice, 
that the Lord Jesus, of whom Isaac was a type, 
really suffered death for the redemption of a 
sinful world. 



THE SAVIOUR'S SUFFERINGS AND DEATH. 83 

A great crowd of people followed after the 
Saviour, as He moved slowly onward, ready to 
sink under His heavy burden ; men, women, 
children — chief priests, and scribes, and Phar- 
isees, Jews and Roman soldiers — striding on 
side by side ; friends and enemies of the 
Messiah ; some exultant with joy and triumph ; 
others, sad and silent. Aye ! even the voice 
of weeping was heard, as the procession wended 
on its way ; the outburst of aching hearts which 
sympathized with the man of sorrows. They 
were the voices of women; and they sounded 
strangely amidst the oaths, and brutal jests, 
and taunts, and revilings of those hard-featured 
men. 

The Saviour turned His meek, pale face to- 
ward the group from which the notes of com- 
passion had come, and said, in words of deepest 
tenderness, but spoken so feebly as to show His 
weakness and agony, " Daughters of Jerusalem, 
weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for 
your children. For behold the days are coming, 
in the which they shall say, Blessed are the bar- 
ren that never bare, and the paps that never 
gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the 
mountains, Fall on us ; and to the hills, Cover 
us. For if they do these things in a green 
tree, what shall be done in the dry ? " His 



84 SERMON VIII. 

meaning was, if such sufferings as Mine can 
befall the Innocent Man, what may not this 
reprobate nation look for ? 

The people who heard, were awe-struck at 
His words, and a dead silence reigned. Sud- 
denly, there was a stir in the crowd ; — the 
Saviour had fainted, and fallen to the ground. 
This, however, only stopped the procession a 
brief space. Simon, a Cyrenian, who happened 
to be passing by, was seized upon by the sol- 
diers, and compelled to bear the cross. 

Onward, onward, now to Calvary, not far 
beyond the city walls. 

Preparations were quickly made for the cruci- 
fixion, and to render the Saviour's death as ig- 
nominious as possible, two thieves are to be exe- 
cuted with Him. His garments are divided 
among the Roman guard, which had been de- 
puted to attend Him ; thus fulfilling a prediction 
made by the Psalmist, so long before. (Ps. xxii. 
18.) 

The one to be crucified was always nailed to 
the cross, before it was lifted from the ground, 
and everything was soon ready for this horrible 
proceeding. In order to relieve, in some meas- 
ure, the extreme torture of having rough iron 
spikes rudely driven through the tenderest parts 
of the hands and feet, a stupefying drink was 



THE SAVIOUR'S SUFFERINGS AND DEATH. 85 

often given to the poor victim, and some person 
out of kindness now handed such a potion to 
our suffering Lord. Jesus was to drink the cup 
of agony to the very dregs, and He therefore 
refused anything which might deaden His sensi- 
bilities, or lessen his pain. 

The Innocent Victim was nailed to the cross, 
and it was soon firmly fixed in the hole already 
dug to receive it. And then began afresh the 
taunting and brutal cries of the thoughtless 
crowd; stirred up to do their utmost by the 
bitter hatred of the rulers. 

I have no time to dwell upon the beautiful 
story of the penitent thief, nor of the Saviour's 
dying remembrance of His Virgin mother. You 
must read these in the Gospel for yourselves. 

Jerusalem had been crowded with people who 
had come up to keep the great feast of the 
Passover. If they had expected to spend a 
pleasant and happy time in these religious so- 
lemnities they were disappointed. The fearful 
tragedy of the first Good Friday had cast a 
gloom over all things. 

But what means this unnatural darkness ? It 
is hardly past noon-day, but already deep shad- 
ows of approaching night begin to cover the 
city, the temple, and the surrounding landscape. 
The astonished multitude lock aghast, and those 
who heard the Saviour's words to the mourning 



86 SERMON VIII. 

women, ask themselves, "Is His terrible predic- 
tion to be thus speedily fulfilled ? " 

Precisely at three in the afternoon, at the 
very moment, when, for so many ages, the lamb 
had been offered in the temple, at the hour of 
the evening sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
the spotless Lamb of God, gave up the ghost. 
His dying prayer had been for His enemies. 

All nature was convulsed. The earth shook ; 
the rocks were rent in sunder ; the veil of the 
temple torn in twain, from the top to the bot- 
tom ; graves opened, and dead men came back 
to life ; and all things conspired to show the 
justice of the centurion's words, who had com- 
manded the Roman soldiers at the execution, 
" Truly, this was the Son of God ! " 

The services of Good Friday say to us all, 
" Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away 
the sin of the world ! " 

Such a subject needs no application. The 
heart must be hard, indeed, which cannot draw 
its own lessons from it. 

" For me these pangs His Soul assail, 
For me this death is borne: 
My sins gave sharpness to the nail, 
And pointed every thorn. 

Let sin no more my soul ensiave, 
Break, Lord, its tyrant chain ; 
O save me, whom Thou cam'st to save, 
Nor bleed, nor die in vain ! " 



OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION. 

Beautiful Easter. — A very different Burial for our Saviour from 
what His Enemies expected. — Two rich Men become courageous. — 
Wonderful fulfillment of Prophecy. — The Jewish Court make sure, 
doubly sure. — Pilate applies his Signet-ring to a new Purpose. — 
The Roman Soldiers on Guard. Joseph's Garden illuminated after 
a marvelous Manner. — The Saviour's Resurrection. — The fabri- 
cation of a Falsehood which cost much Money, but convinced very 
few. — Our hopes of future Happiness dependent on the fact of the 
Resurrection of our Lord. — The little Sister's death. — Planting 
a Seed. — Lessons from the Morning-glory. 



'Twas on the Easter Sunday morn, 
That, from the blessed skies, 
Came down the holy angels 
To see the Lord arise ; 
To see our dear Lord Jesus rise 
From death whose bonds were riven, 
And give Him back unto His friends 
Before he went to Heaven. 

Mrs. Howitt. 

Though love seem now to have hoped in vain, 
And Death seem King of all below, 
There yet shall come the morning-glow, 

And wake our slumbers once again. 

Krummacher. 



SERMON IX. 

OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into 
the ground and die, it abideth alone : but, if it die, it bringeth forth 
much fruit. — St. John xii. 24. 

Easter ! beautiful Easter ! — the day on which 
our Blessed Saviour rose triumphant from the 
grave. Well may the whole world rejoice. 

Jesus Christ is risen to-day, 
Our triumphant holiday : 
Who did once upon the cross 
Suffer to redeem our loss. 

Hymns of praise then let us sing 
Unto Christ, our Heavenly King ; 
"Who endured the cross and grave, 
Sinners to redeem and save. 

Our Saviour expired in agony at three 
o'clock on the afternoon of Good Friday. He 
was buried the same evening, in a new tomb 
hewn out of the rock, in the garden of Joseph 
of Arimathea. 



90 SERMON IX. 

As our Blessed Lord had been condemned as 
a malefactor, and crucified between two thieves, 
no one could have believed that rich men would 
provide for the decent interment of His poor 
mangled body. And yet so it was, and so it 
must needs be, because it had been foretold in the 
Scriptures. (Isaiah liii. 9.) Joseph of Arimathea, 
a rich man, and honorable, who had before this 
been a disciple of Jesus, but had been afraid to 
confess it, now found courage to show honor to 
his crucified Master ; and Nicodemus, a ruler of 
the Jews, who, three years previous, had come 
by night to converse with the Saviour, aided 
him in taking down the body from the cross, 
and provided an abundance of costly spices for 
embalming it. Thus, even in the dismal grave, 
it might be said of the " Prince of Life," " All 
Thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cas- 
sia." A great stone was placed over the door 
of the sepulchre, and the rich men (who do 
not seem to have imagined that He would soon 
rise again) left their Blessed Master to quiet 
repose. 

The members of the Jewish Court who had 
taken part in the Saviour's condemnation and 
murder, were annoyed and provoked by these 
tokens of respect, and it occurred to them that 
the disciples might easily come by night and 



OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION. 91 

steal away the body, and report that there had 
been an actual resurrection. 

To prevent any attempt of the sort, they 
prevailed upon Pontius Pilate to station a strong 
guard of Roman soldiers around the sepulchre, 
and to seal the stone with his own signet- 
ring. These precautions having been taken, 
all parties were satisfied, and the solemn still- 
ness of night succeeded to the noise and excite- 
ment of that terrible Good Friday. 

The Jewish Sabbath came and went, and all 
was yet quiet and undisturbed at the Saviour's 
tomb. The Roman soldiers stood patiently on 
their watch — the silver moonbeams lighting up 
crested helmets, and burnished coats of mail. 

The hours of the second weary night had 
nearly passed, and faint streaks of light in the 
eastern sky betokened returning day. Sud- 
denly the whole garden was illuminated by an 
unnatural brightness ; the earth trembled ; and 
the soldiers, looking up in amazement, beheld 
an angel clad in raiment white as snow, and with 
a countenance like lightning, who rolled away 
the great stone from the door of the sepulchre. 
This was only the beginning of wonders, for 
the Lord Jesus, who had been so carefully 
wrapped in grave-clothes, and anointed with 
spices, came forth alive. 



92 SERMON IX. 

The affrighted soldiers fled in haste to the city, 
and rousing some of the chief priests and rulers 
from their beds, told them the astounding news. 
The precautions already taken had prevented the 
disciples from stealing the body, and reporting 
to the world that their Master had risen from 
•the dead. Here, however, was a difficulty not 
so easy to be met. The Roman soldiers — Pi- 
late's own appointed guard — were now the 
witnesses that Jesus had really come forth alive 
from the tomb. No time was to be lost, and a 
story must be contrived to meet the emergency. 
The Sanhedrim met, and the astonished soldiers 
having been brought before this august court, 
a large sum of money was put into their hands, 
and the unprincipled murderers whispered as 
they gave it to them, " Say ye, His disciples 
came by night, and stole Him away while we 
slept ; and if this come to the governor's ears, 
we will persuade him, and secure you." 

The discipline of the Roman army was very 
strict, and a sentinel found asleep on his post 
was instantly killed. What the Jewish rulers 
meant, was therefore this : that if Pilate should 
think it necessary to examine into so suspicious 
a case, no harm should come to the soldiers; 
for the same money-bags which paid them for 
lying, would bribe even the governor to keep 



OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION. 93 

silence. And it is worth remarking, that al- 
though, from that very Easter morning, the 
Apostles always and everywhere preached the 
doctrine of the resurrection of the crucified Sa- 
viour, the Jewish rulers never denied it. 

Such, in brief, was the great and wonderful 
event, in honor of which this festival is kept. Is 
it any wonder that Christians, from the times of 
the Apostles until now, have always delighted to 
honor it ? All our hopes of happiness in another 
world depend on the truth of our Lord's resurrec- 
tion. If He has not risen from the dead, we need 
not expect to do so. He is the grain of wheat, 
spoken of in the text, which was to be planted 
in the earth, and which was again to spring up 
with renewed life. The two verities with which 
the verse begins, show that He was about to 
say something of the utmost importance. " Ex- 
cept a kernel of corn, or wheat, be buried in 
the ground, where it will be subjected to the 
effects of moisture, and thus the whole body of 
the grain shall die, and leave nothing but the 
germ alive ; except all this shall take place, 
the kernel will remain just as it was, one 
single kernel, and no more. If, however, you 
plant it, then it will fructify and increase. 

It is true, if you had the curiosity to dig it 
up during the process, the kernel would seem to 



94 SERMON IX. 

have gone wholly to decay, yet the germ, the 
principle of life, would be there ; and a stalk 
bearing several grains would spring from that 
single one. And so the effect of our Lord's 
death and burial will secure multiplied blessings 
for His people. 

Thousands and millions of Christians spring 
up and flourish, because the Lord Jesus was 
planted like a grain of wheat. As all the 
beauty and value of the harvest depend on the 
fact that the kernel had been put into the 
ground, and had gone through with this process 
of decay, so will the glorified bodies of God's 
people, at the last day, be the natural effect of 
our Saviour's resurrection. 

An old man tells a pretty story of himself 
which explains the text in a very striking way : 
" I had a little sister, who died when I was 
but five years old. The grief of losing her sank 
deep into my heart ; and weeks went by before 
I could be happy in the play-room where we 
had so often been together, or could endure the 
sight of her books and toys. 

" Often I stole away alone to the church- 
yard where she lay, and sat for hours near the 
little mound that covered her pretty form ; for 
I did not feel so lonely when I sat beside her 
there. 



OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION. 95 

"I had always been a quiet child; but this 
sore trouble completely took away my spirits, 
and made me almost ill. At last my parents 
became alarmed for my health, and proposed to 
take me to the sea-side. I, however, begged so 
hard to remain near my little sister, and was so 
unhappy at the thought of leaving her, that they 
agreed to let me stay. 

" ' Mamma,' I said, ' you know you told me 
Teddy would come out again from under that 
ground — that God was going to raise her up. 
I want to be here when she comes.' 

" ' My boy,' my mother answered, ' our little 
Teddy is not coming back just now. God is 
not ready yet to bring her body out of the 
ground. He is taking good care of her soul 
now, and when you die you may go where she 
is.' 

" ' Must I go into the ground, too ? ' I 
asked ; ' and shall I come out all bright like 
Teddy?' 

" ' Yes, my boy.' 

" ' But, mamma, I don't see how. How can 
it ever be ? ' 

" My mother opened her hand, and showed 
me a little seed, telling me to take it, and bury 
it in the ground. She said that God meant to 
have the seed buried in that way, so that it 



96 SERMON IX. 

might grow up and produce beautiful flowers ; 
and that the ?ame Great Being could also raise 
up our friends from their graves, and give them 
glorified bodies. 

44 Every day I loitered for hours around the 
spot where I had buried the seed, and even 
brought my book and studied my lesson there. 
I somehow felt that upon the coming up of that 
plant depended the raising of my little sister — 
that if my mother's word proved true about the 
seed, I should have a sure prospect of some day 
seeing little Teddy again. So I watched and 
waited anxiously for many days, and the time 
seemed very long. 

44 At last, one morning, after a very rainy 
night, I went out, and saw, to my intense de- 
light, two small green leaves peeping above the 
ground just where I had buried my seed. 

44 To this day I can remember the thrill of 
joy I felt at that sight. It was not merely de- 
light at finding that I was to have a flower of 
my own ; but to my childish heart it seemed 
like an assurance straight from Heaven that my 
little Teddy would be taken care of, and given 
back to me again. 

44 Now I was happier than I had been for 
many weeks, and as my morning-glory grew 
and blossomed my trust in God's power grew 



OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION. 97 

stronger, till at length all the heavy weight of 
sorrow was lifted from my heart." 

A grave-yard ceases to be a gloomy place, 
when we remember the cheering lessons of 
Easter. It is God's own garden-plot, which 
will one day bloom and blossom. 

And now, one closing thought. If a seed of 
wheat be sown, wheat grow from it ; if barley, 
the crop will be barley. And so, when the Lord 
Jesus Christ is sowed in the earth, for a seed, 
Christians spring up from Him — those who are 
like Him, and who try to be true, and gentle, 
and pure, and good, as Christ was. 

As we sing in one of the Easter hymns, — 

' Soar we now, where Christ hath led, 
Following our exalted Head: 
Made like Him, like Him we rise, 
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies." 



X. 

THE SAVIOUR'S OMNISCIENCE. 

A wonderful History, with its Lessons. — Capernaum in its Glory. — 
Modern Travellers searching for its Ruins. — Two Sorts of Tax- 
gatherers. — A Question which St. Peter answered too soon. — 
Avoiding needless Offence. — Tribute-money produced by a Miracle. 
— Ordinary Fish Stories do not explain the Mystery. — The Saviour 
knows all Things. — Tedious unraveling of Facts. — " The Grand- 
mother's Shoe." — A foolish Child forgets Something, which he had 
better remember. 



Yes, Thou art ever present, Power Divine! 
Not circumscribed by time, nor fixed to space, 
Confined to altars, nor to temples bound. 
In wealth, in want, in freedom, or in chains, 
In dungeons, or on thrones, the faithful find Thee. 

Hannah More. 



There is one Mind, one omnipresent Mind, 
Omnific. His most holy name is Love. 

Coleridge. 



SERMON X. 

THE SAVIOUR'S OMNISCIENCE. 

Go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that 
first cometh up: and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou 
shalt find a piece of money. — St. Matt. xvii. 27. 

THERE is a very wonderful history connected 
with the text, — a history which will teach 
us some important lessons. I shall go on, there- 
' fore, to relate these remarkable circumstances, 
and then endeavor to make a suitable applica- 
tion of them. 

Our Blessed Lord, accompanied by St. Peter, 
and others of His disciples, was returning to 
Capernaum. This is called " His own city " 
(St. Matt. ix. 1), not because He had been born 
there, nor because His childhood and youth had 
been spent in it, but because when His fellow 
townsmen of Nazareth rejected His message, 
and cast Him out, He had taken up His abode 
in it. Indeed, Capernaum was His home (so 
far as He had any), during a large portion of 
the three years of His public ministry. For 



102 SERMON X. 

this reason, we feel some interest in the place, 
and I therefore pause in the narrative long 
enough to say, that the city stood on the north- 
west corner of the Sea of Tiberias. It was 
once a town of considerable importance, and 
the capital of all Galilee ; but now we are not 
even quite sure of the exact spot which it occu- 
pied. Some years ago, an American missionary 
travelling in those regions, found a few wretched 
Arab huts, covering, as he believed, the ruins of 
the once famous Capernaum. 

It was concerning this proud and wealthy 
city, that our Saviour once uttered the fearful 
prediction, " And thou, Capernaum, which art 
exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to 
hell " (St. Matt. xi. 23), a prophecy which was 
fulfilled during the wars between the Jews and 
the Romans. 

So much for Capernaum and its eventful his- 
tory. It was to this city that our Saviour was 
returning, from one of His missionary journeys, 
attended by several of His disciples. On the 
road, the Apostles had been disputing among 
themselves, which should be the greatest person- 
age in the temporal kingdom which they thought 
that their Master was about to set up. From 
the opening verse of the eighteenth chapter of 
St. Matthew, it is plain that the incident of the 



THE SAVIOUR'S OMNISCIENCE. 103 

tribute-money, of which I shall presently tell 
you, had some connection with this unpleasant 
discussion. 

The tax demanded was the temple tax, which 
all Jews were required to pay every year, to- 
wards meeting the expenses of public worship. 
(Exodus xxx. 13.) 

Jesus had lately performed a miracle, in the 
cure of the poor demoniac, and the tax-gatherers 
were puzzled to know in what light they ought 
to regard Him, and whether it would be proper 
to demand from Him the usual tribute-money 

I ought to state that the men who collected 
this temple tax were respected, because it was 
for the support of the ordinances of God's House, 
whereas the publicans, who gathered the reve- 
nue for the Roman government, which then 
held the Jews in bondage, were uniformly de- 
spised and hated. 

As the Saviour and His Apostles passed along 
the streets of Capernaum, one of these collect- 
ors spoke to St. Peter, who was probably a little 
distance behind his Master, and said in an under- 
tone, " Doth not your Master pay tribute ? " 

St. Peter would have done well to have gone 
and asked for directions from the Saviour, but 
with his accustomed impetuous haste, he answered 



104 SERMON X. 

" Yes ; " and thus, in a manner, committed his 
Master for the payment of a tax which could 
not properly be claimed from Him. Thus far 
Jesus had not heard what was said, but being 
God He knew. When they came into the house, 
He inquired of Peter, " Of whom do the kings 
of the earth take custom, or tribute ? of their 
own children, or of strangers ? " 

Peter (no doubt amazed that the Saviour 
knew what had been passing between the tax- 
gatherer and himself), answered, " Of strangers." 

Jesus said, " Then are the children free. Not- 
withstanding, lest we should offend, go thou to 
the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish 
that first cometh up : and when thou hast 
opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of 
money : that take, and give unto them for me 
and thee." 

What He meant was, that as the temple was 
His Father's House, He, being a King's son, 
had no occasion to pay towards keeping up the 
worship in His own Sanctuary. To avoid all 
needless offense, He quietly yields the point, 
and even provides, by a wonderful miracle, for 
the settlement of the accustomed tax. 

How poor our Saviour was, in His character 
as Man ! The tax demanded was only about 
thirty cents ; and yet even this paltry sum could 



THE SAVIOUR'S OMNISCIENCE. 105 

not be paid out of the meagre purse which the 
Apostles carried. He might have borrowed it, 
or got it in some other way, but He chose rather 
to work a miracle, that those about Him might 
see that while, as the Son of Man, He was thus 
utterly destitute, He could, as the Son of God, 
do what He pleased. 

The circumstance I have thus related was a 
miracle. Many stories have been told of fishes 
which had swallowed various sorts of things, not 
very wholesome or nutritious ; but they will not 
help to explain this case. St. Peter was told to 
go, at once, to the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, 
and cast in a hook, and the first fish he caught 
was to have in its mouth just the sum needed 
to pay the temple tax. 

Now, in whatever way we look at it, the inci- 
dent proves that the Lord Jesus Christ was a 
Divine Being — proves that He was God. 

If He knew that the first fish which came up 
would have precisely such an amount of money 
in its mouth, it was convincing evidence that He 
knew everything. And if it be said that He 
made the coin, and placed it there, this also 
would be proof that the same power which the 
Almighty Father had, belonged alike to Him. 

This is the point which I wish to impress 
upon your minds, that the Lord Jems Christ 



106 SERMON X. 

knows all things, and, therefore, that the Lord 
Jesus Christ is God. 

How it perplexes and astounds us to think 
of a Being who knows all things ! When a 
murder has been committed, in a sly and secret 
way, how long it is often a profound mystery, 
as to who is the author of the dreadful deed ! 
It sometimes requires long years before the facts 
of the case are unraveled. What care and 
thought, and spying out of suspicious people's 
actions ; what arraignment and cross-examination 
of witnesses ; what anxiety and perplexity to 
judges, to get at the truth ! The Lord Jesus 
Christ knows all about it in a moment. 

In the case of the application which the tax- 
gatherer made to St. Peter, the Saviour was not 
obliged to wait for the Apostle to come and tell 
him of the conversation which had taken place ; 
for He knew it without being told. 

Wicked people sometimes say, when they pro- 
pose to commit an evil deed, " Well, let us go 
off where nobody sees us, and then we can do 
as we please ! " And so they skulk away from 
the observation of their fellow mortals, and com- 
mit thefts, and forgeries, and make counterfeit 
money, and adulterate the groceries which they 
sell in their stores ; and flatter themselves with 
the notion that it is all a profound secret. 



THE SAVIOUR'S OMNISCIENCE. 107 

Alas ! what a grievous mistake — God sees 
them. The Lord Jesus Christ, who gave that 
wonderful proof of His omniscience, He sees 
them. 

Among Jean Ingelow's " Stories told to a 
Child," there is a beautiful one called " The 
Grandmother's Shoe," which I wish I had time 
to repeat. It would take too long to do it, — 
so you must get the nice book, and read it for 
yourselves. 

My purpose will be answered now, by reciting 
a very small portion of it. A mischievous little 
girl has been at high play, on Sunday afternoon, 
when a good old Quaker lady had sent her to an 
attic room to learn a parable. All at once, she 
espies something on a chair in a corner of the 
room, and, in her fright, she fancies it to be the 
grandmother, who had thus caught her in her 
frolic. She recovers her spirits, and begins her 
romping again, when a gentle young Quakeress 
quietly opens the door, and administers a mild 
rebuke. 

" After all, there was no harm done," said the 
child. 

"No harm !" replied the other. " What dost 
thou mean ? " 

" Why, you know," said the little girl calmly, 
" you know the grandmother did not see me ! " 



108 SERMON X. 

44 Thou heedless child," she answered with a 
look of pity, 44 art thou really so much afraid 
of my grandmother, and dost thou wholly forget 
the ear that did listen to thy talking, and the 
eye that was upon thee all the time ? What 
wouldst thou have done if, when I drew back 
the curtain, thou hadst seen the Redeemer 
standing there ? " 

And now, here is the lesson which I beg you 
to remember ; that the Saviour always sees you. 
Try your best, by the help of God's grace, to 
let Him see you doing right. 



XI. 

GENTLENESS, A FRUIT OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. 

Quiet Influences the most powerful. — A Case for Mr. Rarey. — 
What " Gentleness " means. — Whitsunday. — Effects of true Re- 
ligion on Temper and Manners. — Who is a Gentleman 1 — The 
Wind and the Sun. — General Washington and the Teamster. — A 
crabbed Drayman conquered. — Quarrels among School-boys. — The 
Stick of Candy which struck a harder Blow than a Fist. — A Dove 
the Emblem of Gentleness. — What would come to pass, provided 
several " Ifs " could be made real Things. 



He to His own a Comforter will send, 

The promise of the Father, who shall dwell 

His Spirit within them, and the law of faith 

Working through love, upon their hearts shall write, 

To guide them in all truth. 

Milton. 

O Holy Ghost ! Thou fire divine ! 
From highest heaven on us down shine : 
Comforter, be Thy comfort mine ! 

King Robert of France, A. D. 1000. 



SERMON XI. 

GENTLENESS A FRUIT OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. 

The fhut of the Spirit is gentleness. — Gal. v. 22. 

THE greatest results are accomplished by 
gentle, quiet influences. 

Not long ago I saw a man mounted on a dray, 
very heavily loaded, beating his poor half-starved 
horse most cruelly, because the wheels had got 
stuck fast in the mud, and the beast was too feeble 
to pull them out. The more the man whipped, 
and swore, and wished the horse might go to the 
bad place, the more frightened the animal be- 
came, and the less able to perform what was so 
unreasonably demanded. As I witnessed the 
painful sight, I could not but hope that Mr. 
Rarey, the horse-tamer, might some time come 
along, and teach the cruel driver that kind and 
cheering words would prove much more effec- 
tual in making the horse do as he desired. 

You may ask me, perhaps, whether one who 



112 SERMON XI. 

is born cross, and crabbed, and cruel, can ever 
hope to become gentle. He can. Just listen 
to the text. " The fruit of the Spirit is gentle- 
ness." The Spirit here spoken of is God the 
Holy Ghost, who teaches, and guides, and 
blesses us. He it is who helps to make us 
gentle. 

I have chosen this subject now, because this is 
Whitsunday, the day on which this Blessed Spirit 
came down from Heaven, and rested upon the 
Apostles, at Jerusalem, more than eighteen hun- 
dred years ago. Before He left the world, our 
Saviour promised that He would send the Holy 
Ghost, the Comforter, to be with His people al- 
ways ; and on this day, ages ago, this pledge was 
kept. 

" What greater gift, what greater love, 
Could God on man bestow '? 
Angels for this rejoice above, 
Let man rejoice below." 

The word gentleness (which is one of the vir- 
tues which the Holy Spirit helps us to cultivate) 
means, in the text, goodness and kindness. It is 
the opposite of a harsh, crooked, and crabbed 
temper. It is a disposition easy to be pleased, 
and in our idea of this Christian gentleness we 
must include mildness and politeness. 

Religion sweetens the temper, teaching us to 
be kind, and patient, and thoughtful of the feel- 



GENTLENESS A FRUIT OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. 113 

ings and the comfort of others. The school of 
Christ is a far better one to learn politeness in 
than that of Lord Chesterfield. 

St. Paul, who wrote the text, was a polished 
gentleman, in its highest and truest sense. 

It is a pity that the word gentleman is so often 
improperly used. What is a gentleman ? Is 
it always one who is rich ? Is it the man 
dressed in the most fashionable clothes, and 
who takes off his hat with a graceful flourish 
when he salutes his friends ? No ; the veriest 
blackguard might have plenty of money ; and 
wear a coat in the height of the fashion ; and 
move about with the air of a dancing-master. 
A gentleman is one who does gentle things, and 
who has kind and unselfish feelings. And it is 
worth remembering that the Holy Spirit of God 
is ready to teach us to be gentle. " The fruit of 
the Spirit is gentleness." 

The power of gentleness is really irresistible. 
The blustering wind could not make the traveller 
take off his cloak, — but the only effect was that 
he wrapped himself up the more tightly in it. 
When, however, the gentle sunbeams shined 
softly and steadily on him, he was glad to re- 
move it. 

" One year of love," Dr. Mason happily re- 
marks, " would do more towards setting us 



114 SERMON XI. 

mutually right, when we are wrong, than a mil- 
lennium of wrangling." 

Gentleness must not be confounded with 
cowardice, and with a mean, truckling spirit. 

No one would doubt General Washington's 
courage ; and yet he could . practice gentleness. 
After the Revolution was well over, and the 
country had become settled and quiet, he was 
making a long journey in his carriage, attended 
by several gentlemen who travelled in a convey- 
ance of their own. One afternoon, as night 
was fast approaching, and they were all anxious 
to reach the neighboring town before dark, they 
found the road almost blocked up by a large 
wagon drawn by four horses, proceeding at a 
snail's pace. 

Wishing to go faster than this wagon, a gen- 
tleman in the foremost carriage called out to the 
teamster, with a lordly air, to turn out and let 
them pass. As might be supposed, the man 
merely looked angry, and refused to budge. 
Seeing how matters were, General Washington 
spoke politely to the driver, and explaining why 
they wished to hasten forward, asked him to al- 
low the carriages to go by. The power of gen- 
tleness prevailed in a moment; and the weary 
travellers were soon enjoying a good supper at 
the village inn. 



GENTLENESS A FRUIT OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. 115 

A Quaker physician, in Philadelphia, who 
was very kind to the poor, was hastening, in his 
old gig, to visit a patient, when he found his 
way stopped by a cart, in a narrow street, al- 
ready half blocked up with piles of brick and 
lumber. 

Having waited patiently for several minutes, 
the doctor requested the drayman to let him 
pass. 

The man had heard of the kind physician, but 
not having seen him before, he did not suspect 
this plain-talking Quaker to be the person, and 
began to swear at old " straight coat," flatly 
refusing to open the way. 

" Well, friend," said the doctor, "all I have 
to observe is this ; if thee should get sick, or if 
thy family should ever be in distress, send for 

Dr. P , and he will do thee all the good he 

can." 

The heart of the drayman was softened at 
once ; and stammering out the best apology he 
could, he made haste to clear the path for the 
physician. If he had returned harsh words for 
the driver's curses, he might have sat in his gig 
until midnight. 

In the case of quarrels among school-boys, 
the gentle one is always sure to come off victori- 
ous in the end. The fact is, a kind word hurts 
much more than a blow. 



116 SERMON XI. 

Two little boys were once rolling a hoop over 
the frozen ground, and, in running carelessly 
after it, Gerald, the younger, being behind, 
came in contact with his brother Thomas, and 
both fell down with violence, the }^ounger on top 
of the elder. Thomas was severely bruised, 
and rose up in a terrible passion. He scolded 
Gerald, in the most offensive words he could 
think of, and then began to beat him. Instead 
of crying out, or striking back, the little fellow 
put his hand into his pocket hurriedly, fumbled 
about among his treasures, and drawing out a 
stick of candy, thrust it into Thomas's mouth, 
even while he was scolding and beating him. 

Thomas instantly stopped, and looked con- 
fused and ashamed. And thus his wrath was 
turned aside by the spirit of gentleness which 
his younger brother manifested. 

I ought to say for your comfort and encour- 
agement, that such a spirit is not natural to us, 
nor easy to acquire ; and yet, the Holy Spirit 
will help us to gain it, whenever we show a 
real desire to do so. The Holy Spirit, gentle 
and loving Himself, is the best teacher we cfen 
have. 

The dove, as you know, is often taken as 
the emblem of gentleness, and so in the pretty 
hymn, — 



GENTLENESS A FRUIT OF GOD S HOLT SPIRIT. 117 

" Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove, 
"With all Thy quickening powers; 
Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love, 
And that shall kindle ours." 

Let us all try to be gentle, and pray to God's 
Holy Spirit to help us to become so. 

If ministers of the Gospel could always be 
gentle, if parents and teachers could be so, 
and if boys and girls would put themselves 
under the guidance and instruction of the 
Blessed Spirit, then, indeed, would Heaven be 
begun, even upon this earth. 



XII. 



Beautiful Dawn to a beautiful World. — The Outside and the In- 
side. — The curious Origin of a Word. — Many Names given to the 
better World. — Washington Irving's burial Day. — The Lamb 
which is in the Midst of the Throne. — Robert Burns with tear- 
ful Eyes. — Splendor of the Temple of Diana. — The Glory which 
excelleth. — " A Commonwealth of Kings." — Something besides 
hoping. — Two Qualif cations essential to our Admission into the New 
Jerusalem. — Save we got them f 



Oh for that bright and happy land, 

Where, far amid the blest, 
" The wicked cease from troubling, and 

The weary are at rest ! " 
Where friends are never parted, 

Once met around Thy throne, 
And none are broken-hearted, 

Since all, with Thee, are one. 

MONSELL. 

Palms of glory, raiment bright, 
Crowns that never fade away, 
Gird and deck the saints in light, 
Priests, and kings, and conquerors they. 

Montgomery. 



SERMON XII. 

HEAVEtf. 

The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed cnem, 
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall 
wipe away all tears from their eyes. — Rev. vii. 17. 

T EIGH HUNT, in his autobiography, in 
-*-^ speaking of his dear mother's death, tells 
us, " Her greatest pleasure during her decay 
(she died of a slow consumption) was to lie on a 
sofa, looking at the setting sun. She used to 
liken it to the door of Heaven ; and fancy her 
lost children there, waiting for her." 

A beautiful door, indeed, to a beautiful 
world ! 

The remark of the little boy was certainly a 
very striking one, who, one night, after looking 
up in wonder at the shining stars, cried out to 
his father, "If the outside of Heaven be so glori- 
ous, how grand the inside must be ! " 

Did it ever come into your minds to ask why 
that better land is called Heaven f The origin 
of the name is curious. The old English word 



122 SERMON XII. 

heave means to throw or to cast up ; and so the 
sky which seems heaved, or heaven up came to 
be spoken of as Heaven. 

That better world, beyond the cold and 
troubled waters of death, is sometimes called, 
in the Bible, " life," and " eternal life ; " " the 
glory of God ; " " peace ; " an " eternal weight 
of glory ; " " the heavenly Jerusalem ; " " the 
Kingdom of Heaven ; " and an " eternal inher- 
itance." Poets have always pictured it as the 
land of flowers, and perpetual sunshine. 

" There, everlasting spring abides, 
And never fading flowers ; 
Death, like a narrow sea, divides 
This Heavenly land from ours. 

Bright fields, beyond the swelling flood, 
Stand dress'd in living green; 
So to the Jews fair Canaan stood, 
While Jordan rolled between." 

How it casts a radiance even on the gloomy 
grave, this remembrance of our Heavenly 
Home ! 

On the bright December day, when Washing- 
ton Irving was laid down to his peaceful rest, 
on the shore of the river which he loved, the 
beautiful Indian summer sent back one balmy 
breath to temper the frosty air, and the un- 
clouded sky was soft with serenest sunshine. 



HEAVEN. 123 

" I could not but remember his last words to 
me," writes an admiring friend, " more than a 
year ago, when his book was finished, and his 
health was failing : 6 I am getting ready to go ; 
I am shutting up my door and windows.' And 
I could not bat feel that they were all open now, 
and bright with the light of eternal morning." 

The Lamb spoken of in the text, and who is 
represented as leading forth His people unto 
u living fountains of waters," is our Blessed 
Lord and Saviour. 

It was as the spotless Lamb, that He was 
typified in the sacrifices of the Mosaic law. 

" Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away 
the sin of the world ! " exclaimed St. John the 
Baptist, as he directed the attention of his dis- 
ciples to the great Prophet who had lately arisen 
in Galilee. 

As a gentle and uncomplaining Lamb, our 
Blessed Lord was led to the sacrifice, on Good 
Friday ; and, at the last day, when we shall be- 
hold Him in His exaltation and glory, we shall 
still speak of Him, with adoring gratitude and 
love, as the Lamb who has redeemed us to God 
by His blood. 

As here on the earth the Lord Jesus was 
the Saviour of His people, so, in the better land, 
He shall be the dispenser of their happiness. 



124 SERMON XII. 

The imagery of the text is certainly very 
striking and beautiful, and Robert Burns, the 
Scotch poet, says, that from his early childhood, 
he was never able to read it with eyes un- 
dimmed by tears. The Saviour is always, and 
everywhere, the Good Shepherd, to His re- 
deemed children. 

" He shall lead them unto living fountains of 
waters." 

The happiness of Heaven is described as fresh, 
and ever flowing, like streams in the desert. 
The " fountains " are called " living " because 
they will never be dried up, nor exhausted. 

Heaven is much more than a snug place 
where we shall be safe from want and wretch- 
edness. We are made for activity, and we 
shall have employment there. No languishing, 
nor faintness ; no longings after vanities, no 
cleaving of the soul unto the dust ; but a holy 
sense of God in the Heavenly Temple, in which 
the ransomed spirit will find its exercise and its 
delight. 

" Hunger, thirst, disease unknown, 

On immortal fruits they feed; 
Them the Lamb amidst the throne 

Shall to living fountains lead; 
Joy and gladness banish sighs; 

Perfect love dispels their fears; 
And, forever, from their eyes 

God shall wipe away their tears." 



HEAVEN. 125 

The idolatrous temple of Diana, at Ephesus, 
was so dazzling and gorgeous, that the door- 
keeper cried aloud to those who went in, " Take 
heed to your eyes ! " 

How our faculties of vision must be strength- 
ened and improved, before we can behold, with- 
out being blinded by overpowering brightness, 
the glories of the Heavenly Jerusalem — its 
walls of precious stones ; its gates of pearl ; 
its streets of solid gold ; aye, such surpassing 
beauty as eye hath never seen, nor the imagina- 
tion conceived of. 

No sick, no poor, no oppressed, no bereaved, 
no unhappy people there ; but all shall be made 
kings and priests unto God. 

When Cyneas, the ambassador of Pyrrhus, 
came back from Rome, his master asked him 
what he thought of the city. He answered, 
that it seemed to be a commonwealth of kings. 
And such is Heaven. Every child of God who 
gains admission there will have his robes of 
honor, his sceptre of power, and his crown of 
glory. 

There is not one person listening to this ser- 
mon who does not hope to go to Heaven when 
he dies. I say, hopes to do so. He must, how- 
ever, do something besides hope. Those happy 
and blessed ones whom the Lamb shall feed, and 



126 SERMON XII. 

lead to the living fountains of waters, in the bet- 
ter land, will be the very persons who have 
allowed the Lamb, even the Lord Jesus Christ, 
to lead them here. Do you ask, how? The an- 
swer is easy enough ; those who permit the 
Saviour to lead them in the way of God's 
law, and in the works of His commandments. 
The language of Heaven, and a taste for good- 
ness, and purity, must be gained here upon the 
earth. 

" Children of grace have found 
Glory begun below; 
Celestial fruits on earthly ground 
From faith and hope may grow. 

The hill of Sion yields 

A thousand sacred sweets, 
Before Ave reach the Heavenly fields, 

Or walk the golden streets 

Then let our songs abound, 

And every tear be dry ; 
We're travelling through Immanuel's ground 

To fairer fields on high." 

Each one ought to ask himself the question, 
and be anxious to have a true answer to it, 
whether he has ever turned his steps towards his 
better home ? 

It is absurd to suppose that we can wander 
away from God all our lives, and when death 
overtakes us on the open common of the wicked 



HEAVEN. 127 

world, that the Good Shepherd will clasp us in 
His arms, as sheep of His pasture, and lead us 
forth unto the living fountains of water. 

There are two things essential to one's enjoy- 
ing a grand musical celebration ; he must have 
a ticket of admission, and he must have a 
taste for music. One of these would be useless 
without the other. So those who are admitted 
to Heaven, at the last day, will have two qualifi- 
cations ; a title to the better inheritance, and 
a meetness for it. Have you and I secured both 
of these qualifications ? — If not, have we any 
time to throw away ? 



Lord, behold, before Thy Throne 
A band of children lowly bend : 

Thy face we seek, Thy name we own, 
And pray that Thou wilt be our friend. 

Thou didst on earth the young receive, 
And gently hold them to Thy breast, 

And say that such in heaven should live, 
Forever safe, forever blest. 

Thy Holy Spirit's aid impart, 
That he may teach us how to pray ; 

Make us sincere, and let each heart 
Delight to tread in wisdom's way. 

O ! let Thy grace our souls renew, 
And seal a sense of pardon there. 

Teach us Thy will to know and do, 
And let us all Thine image bear. 



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